A committee of architects has declared New York Citys newly erected One World Trade Center the tallest building in the US, at 1,776ft (541m). The Height Committee of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat announced its decision in Chicago. The previous title holder was that citys tallest building, the Willis Tower, at 1,451ft (442m). The committee ruled a 408ft needle at the top counted toward its height. Antony Wood, executive director of the committee, which is seen as the final official word on building heights around the world, said the needle counted as a permanent structure. The spire will serve as a broadcast antenna upon the buildings completion in 2014. Without that needle, the building measures 1,368 feet, well below the height of the Willis Tower, which was formerly known as the Sears Tower. Both skyscrapers fall well short of the worlds tallest building, the 2,723ft (830m) Burj Khalifa in Dubai. One World Trade Center was built on the lower Manhattan site of the iconic Twin Towers, which were destroyed in the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 along with other buildings in the World Trade Center complex.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 00:47:58 +0000