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1. Windows on top of the world wtc how to#
2. Windows on top of the world wtc install#

Using his 50-pound, 26-foot-long balancing pole, he crossed between the tallest buildings in the world eight times before stopping when it started to rain. Thousands of commuters stared up, gasping in amazement.Įxuding confidence in his 45-minute show, the tightrope artist laid down on the wire, knelt down on one knee, talked to seagulls and teased police officers waiting to arrest him. On the morning of August 7, 1974, French acrobat Philippe Petit walked the more than 130 feet between the Twin Towers on a high wire approximately one-quarter mile up in the air. READ MORE: 9/11 Lost and Found: The Items Left Behind Height of the tightrope walk between the towers: 1,350 feet On 9/11, the attacking planes snapped the water intake system upon impact, so they didn’t work.

Windows on top of the world wtc install#

But facing pressure from state lawmakers and employees in the Center, Port Authority officials spent $45 million to install some 3,700 sprinklers in the two buildings during the 1980s.īut the sprinklers failed when they were needed the most. That was common for skyscrapers at the time, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owned the buildings, was exempt from the city’s fire safety codes. With this study, one of the first of its kind for a skyscraper, engineers tested how the towers’ innovative tubular structural design, lighter than the traditional masonry construction, would handle strong winds.īut they also realized that in the winds coming off the harbor, the towers could sway as much as 10 feet, making office space potentially tough to rent. winds, the equivalent of a category 1-force hurricane. READ MORE: How the Design of the World Trade Center Claimed Lives on 9/11 Windspeed the towers could sustain: 80 m.p.h.Įngineers concluded in wind tunnel tests in 1964 that the towers could sustain a thrashing of 80-m.p.h.

On 9/11, the tower’s elevator shafts became an efficient conduit for airplane fuel-and deadly fire. That innovation lessened the amount of space the elevators took, leaving more rentable floor space. The Twin Towers had 198 elevators operating inside 15 miles of elevator shafts, and when they were installed, their motors were the largest in the world. The towers’ innovative elevator design mimicked the New York City subway, with express and local conveyances. It’s an extremely powerful transformation to see, and there’s no better place to see it than from 1,300 feet above at the One World Observatory.Twin Towers' elevator speed: 1,600 feet per minute It’s about how ground zero has been transformed from a literal and metaphorical hole into a place where people from across the world can come together and once again celebrate the magic of New York City. It’s about how a city bounced back from tragedy, rebuilt itself, and is thriving today. However, the story here is one of resiliency. After 9/11, New York City would never be the same, and the scars from the attack are still very visible at the World Trade Center. It’s an opportunity to learn about a major event that shaped New York City and world history. One of the OWO slogans is “see forever” for a reason - it’s the highest observatory in New York City, offering views from the Atlantic Ocean to the south to the Catskill Mountains and the Hudson Valley to the north.īut an OWO trip is more than just a chance to see impressive views. What Else to See in the AreaĪ visit to the observatory is an experience unlike anything else New York City has to offer. Each side of the observatory also features digital maps that will explain exactly what buildings are visible from where you’re standing. As you rise higher, you can watch the city of New York transform around you, from colonial Dutch sheep farms into the modern metropolis that it is today.Īll around the OWO, helpful docents and staffers stand ready to answer any questions you may have about the World Trade Center and what you’re looking at.

Windows on top of the world wtc how to#

It’s hard to describe, and I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but OWO engineers have somehow figured out how to transform the elevator into a virtual reality experience that maps the entire history of NYC architecture.

The OWO makes sure to entertain everybody with various interactive displays and educational opportunities, starting with the elevator ride. As I’ve already mentioned, the observatory offers visitors the chance to enjoy some of the most captivating views in the world.