The 3 World Trade Center officially opened to the public on June 11, 2018, after more than eight years of construction. Located at 175 Greenwich Street, the building is characterized by an innovative structural design and its focus on energy efficiency. The original concept back in 2009 was a simple four-story building, but a full skyscraper could be planned thanks to large amounts of financing that became available in 2012.
With a height of 1,079 ft (328 m), the 3 World Trade Center is the 5th tallest skyscraper in the country and the 2nd tallest at the project site, after the One World Trade Center. The 3 WTC has 80 floors with 2.5 million sq.ft. of indoor floor space, and the lobby alone is 60 feet tall. Around 40% of floor space is already leased, mostly by two large tenants:
- 700,000 sq.ft. are leased by Group M, the largest advertising media company in the world with more than $100 billion in annual revenue.
- 185,000 sq.ft. are leased by McKinsey, a prestigious management consulting firm with over $10 billion in annual revenue.
Before the 3 WTC completes its first year of operation, it is expected to have around 6,000 employees, in great part from the two companies mentioned above. Another major tenant is the stock exchange company IEX, occupying over 44,000 sq.ft.
The first five levels of the tower will be used for retail, with a total area of over 216,000 sq. ft., and all the floors above will be used for office spaces. Floors 17, 60 and 76 have terraces, and the one on floor 76 is tallest of its type in Manhattan - 985 ft above street level. A staff of around 100 permanent and temporary employees will be in charge of operation and maintenance.
Building the 3 WTC: What Did It Take?
In a project having the magnitude of the 3 WTC, a significant input of construction materials and skilled labor can be expected. The following are some key figures for the project:
- The construction process accumulated several million man-hours, employing a crew of over 4,000 union workers.
- The building walls use 10,000 glass panels.
- The structure uses 27,000 tons of steel and 145,000 cubic yards of concrete.
- An investment of over $2.7 billion made the 3 WTC possible.
To handle its large number of occupants, the 3 WTC uses 44 passenger elevators. They are equipped with a high-speed system that allows them to travel from the lobby to the 17th floor in just three seconds. The 44 passenger elevators are complemented by five service elevators.
The 3 WTC is characterized by an external steel bracing system, which minimizes the need for columns indoors. As a result, office spaces offer more flexibility to be configured as needed by tenants. The reduced number of columns also improves the view, especially for offices located in the corners of the building.
LEED Gold Rating
The 3 WTC has received the LEED Gold rating from the US Green Building Council, which is awarded when a project scores between 60 and 79 points in the LEED scoring system. The following are some of the measures deployed to enhance the building’s performance:
- Smart ventilation: Outdoor air is drawn in and filtered from upper levels, where pollutant concentrations are lower. In addition, airflow is controlled by areas, responding to either occupancy or air quality.
- Natural lighting: Using its ample window area, the building reduces lighting expenses.
The high-performance design of the 3 WTC is aligned with the sustainability goals of New York City: the city aims to reduce its emissions by 80% by 2050. Since buildings account for major portion of NYC emissions, green construction plays a fundamental role in achieving the goal.
Leave Comment