5 World Trade Center (1972–2001)
| Company type | Office building |
|---|---|
| Industry | Office space rental |
| Founded | March 1972 |
| Founder | Minoru Yamasaki, Emery Roth & Sons |
| Defunct | December 2001 |
| Fate | Demolished due to damage sustained in September 11 attacks |
| Successor | Site now contains World Trade Center Transportation Hub, planned for future 2 World Trade Center |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | Lower Manhattan |
| Products | Office space |
| Parent | World Trade Center complex |
5 World Trade Center, also known as the Northeast Plaza Building, was a nine-story office tower situated in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It was part of the World Trade Center complex and officially opened its doors in March 1972. The structure sustained severe damage during the September 11 attacks and was later dismantled. The site where it once stood now contains the World Trade Center Transportation Hub and is designated for the future 2 World Trade Center.
History
Constructed between 1970 and 1972, 5 World Trade Center (5 WTC) was a steel-frame, nine-story low-rise office building located within New York City's World Trade Center complex. The design was a collaboration between Minoru Yamasaki and Emery Roth & Sons, featuring a black facade and rising to a height of 118 feet. Positioned at the northeast corner of the World Trade Center site, the L-shaped structure measured approximately 330 by 420 feet, offering around 120,000 square feet per floor. The building also included a police desk for security purposes.
Adjacent to the east were the Chambers Street and World Trade Center subway stations, with direct lobby access to one of their exits. Beneath the building, the underground concourse contained The Mall at the World Trade Center. A notable tenant was New York City's largest Borders bookstore, which occupied three floors at the intersection of Church and Vesey Streets.
In 1984, artist Joanna Gilman Hyde completed a temporary rooftop artwork titled "Self Organizing Galaxy," covering 10,000 square feet, which took eight days to finish.
September 11 attacks
Among the structures in the complex during the September 11 attacks, 5 WTC sustained the least damage. Partial collapse and fire affected floors 4 through 9, while floors 1 to 3 remained undamaged. Debris from the North Tower’s collapse combined with fire compromised structural integrity on the upper levels. Fires ignited on floors 5 to 9 following the South Tower's fall. Debris from United Airlines Flight 175 impacted the building's roof, with an engine discovered inside the cafeteria on the ninth floor. Remarkably, the Borders bookstore escaped damage.
The building's demolition involved weakening internal supports and using cables to pull down remaining portions, a technique similar to that employed for buildings 4 and 6 World Trade Center. The final remnants were removed by December 2001.
An investigation by FEMA/ASCE revealed that fireproofing failed to adequately shield steel beam connections, contributing to structural failures in parts of 5 WTC; however, this did not result in a complete collapse as much of the framework stayed intact.
5 WTC contained the Survivors' Staircase, which was relocated along Vesey Street in 2008 to safeguard it from harm and subsequently installed within the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in 2010.
Plans for the new 2 World Trade Center call for its construction on what was once the site of 5 World Trade Center.
Tenants
Before its destruction, several significant tenants occupied space within 5 World Trade Center:
| Floor | Occupants |
|---|---|
| 9 | Credit Suisse First Boston, American Shipper Magazine, Howard Publications, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Council Of State Governments, Hunan Resources and Tech Institute, Our Planet Management Institute Ltd. |
| 8 | Credit Suisse First Boston, New York Court of Claims, Continental Forwarding, Hon. Christopher J. Mega |
| 7 | Credit Suisse First Boston |
| 6 | Morgan Stanley |
| 5 | Morgan Stanley |
| 4 | Morgan Stanley |
| 3 | Borders, Affiliated Physicians of St. Vincent, World Trade Center Dental |
| 2 | Borders |
| Plaza Level | Chase Bank, Citibank, Borders, Children's Discovery Center, Krispy Kreme, Morgan Stanley, HSBC Bank, FedEx Corporation, Satellite Airlines Counter, Daniel Pehr, Inc. |
| Concourse | The Mall at the World Trade Center |
The Satellite Airlines Counter located on the Plaza Level served as a retail hub leasing space to airlines including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and US Airways. Additionally, courier companies such as FedEx and DHL operated there. This section was positioned next to the lower floor of Borders’ three-story store.