Two World Financial Center
Encyclopedia
Two World Financial Center is one of the largest skyscrapers in New York City
, located at 225 Liberty Street in the Financial District
of the New York City
borough
of Manhattan
. Rising 645 feet (197 m), the building is the second tallest of the four buildings in the World Financial Center
complex that stands in southwest Manhattan. It is similar in design to Three World Financial Center
, except that its roof is dome-shaped rather than 3 WFC's solid pyramid
design.
The building is home to Commerzbank
, Deloitte & Touche, Merrill Lynch
, Nomura Group
, State Street Corporation, Thacher Proffitt & Wood, LLP
, and several divisions of France Telecom
, among other companies. It is an example of postmodern architecture, as designed by Cesar Pelli
& Associates, and contains over 2,491,000 ft² (231,000 m²) of rentable office area. It connects to the rest of the World Financial Center
complex through a courtyard leading to the Winter Garden
, a dramatic glass-and-steel public space with a 120-foot vaulted ceiling under which there is an assortment of trees and plants, including sixteen 12-meter palm trees from the Mojave Desert
.
It is notably similar in design to One Canada Square
in London's Canary Wharf
development. Canary Wharf was, like the World Financial Center, a project by Canadian developers Olympia and York
, and One Canada Square was designed by the same architects.
Two World Financial Center was severely damaged by the falling debris when the World Trade Center
towers collapsed due to the September 11 attacks. The building had to be closed for repairs from September 11, 2001 until May 2002 as a result of damage sustained in the terrorist attacks.
Though the building has a nominall address on Liberty Street, its most prominent facade is on West Street between Liberty
and Vesey Street
s.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, located at 225 Liberty Street in the Financial District
Financial District, Manhattan
The Financial District of New York City is a neighborhood on the southernmost section of the borough of Manhattan which comprises the offices and headquarters of many of the city's major financial institutions, including the New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York...
of the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. Rising 645 feet (197 m), the building is the second tallest of the four buildings in the World Financial Center
World Financial Center
The World Financial Center is a complex of buildings across West Street from the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan in New York City, overlooking the Hudson River. This complex is home to offices of companies including Merrill Lynch, RBC Capital Markets, Nomura Group, the Wall Street...
complex that stands in southwest Manhattan. It is similar in design to Three World Financial Center
Three World Financial Center
Three World Financial Center also known as American Express Tower, is one of the thirty tallest skyscrapers in New York City. Located on West Street between Liberty Street and Vesey Street in Lower Manhattan the building is the tallest, 739 feet , of the four buildings in the World Financial...
, except that its roof is dome-shaped rather than 3 WFC's solid pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
design.
The building is home to Commerzbank
Commerzbank
Commerzbank AG is the second-largest bank in Germany, after Deutsche Bank, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main.-Activities:Commerzbank is mainly active in commercial bank, retail banking and mortgaging. It suffered reversals in investment banking in early 2000s and scaled back its Securities unit...
, Deloitte & Touche, Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
, Nomura Group
Nomura Group
The formerly Nomura zaibatsu is a company headquartered in Chuo, Tokyo.Nomura is one of the major industrial and financial conglomerate groupings of Japan. Osaka Nomura bank was founded by Tokushichi Nomura II in 1919 after many successful business ventures; it was established on the Mitsui...
, State Street Corporation, Thacher Proffitt & Wood, LLP
Thacher Proffitt & Wood, LLP
Thacher Proffitt & Wood LLP was an American law firm headquartered in New York City. As of 2009 the firm was in the process of dissolving. At its peak, the firm was made up of approximately 365 attorneys with offices in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Mexico City; White Plains, New York; and...
, and several divisions of France Telecom
France Télécom
France Telecom S.A. is the main telecommunications company in France, the third-largest in Europe and one of the largest in the world. It currently employs about 180,000 people and has 192.7 million customers worldwide . In 2010 the group had revenue of €45.5 billion...
, among other companies. It is an example of postmodern architecture, as designed by Cesar Pelli
César Pelli
César Pelli is an Argentine architect known for designing some of the world's tallest buildings and other major urban landmarks. In 1991, the American Institute of Architects listed Pelli among the ten most influential living American architects...
& Associates, and contains over 2,491,000 ft² (231,000 m²) of rentable office area. It connects to the rest of the World Financial Center
World Financial Center
The World Financial Center is a complex of buildings across West Street from the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan in New York City, overlooking the Hudson River. This complex is home to offices of companies including Merrill Lynch, RBC Capital Markets, Nomura Group, the Wall Street...
complex through a courtyard leading to the Winter Garden
Winter Garden Atrium
The Winter Garden Atrium is a 10-story glass-vaulted pavilion on Vesey Street in New York City's World Financial Center. Originally constructed in 1988, and substantially rebuilt in 2002, the Atrium houses various plants, trees and flowers, and shops...
, a dramatic glass-and-steel public space with a 120-foot vaulted ceiling under which there is an assortment of trees and plants, including sixteen 12-meter palm trees from the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
.
It is notably similar in design to One Canada Square
One Canada Square
One Canada Square is a skyscraper in Canary Wharf in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is the tallest completed building in the United Kingdom since 1991, standing at above ground level and containing 50 storeys...
in London's Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is a major business district located in London, United Kingdom. It is one of London's two main financial centres, alongside the traditional City of London, and contains many of the UK's tallest buildings, including the second-tallest , One Canada Square...
development. Canary Wharf was, like the World Financial Center, a project by Canadian developers Olympia and York
Olympia and York
Olympia & York was once a major international property development firm based in Canada. The firm built major financial office complexes like Canary Wharf in London, the World Financial Center in New York City and First Canadian Place in Toronto...
, and One Canada Square was designed by the same architects.
Two World Financial Center was severely damaged by the falling debris when the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
towers collapsed due to the September 11 attacks. The building had to be closed for repairs from September 11, 2001 until May 2002 as a result of damage sustained in the terrorist attacks.
Though the building has a nominall address on Liberty Street, its most prominent facade is on West Street between Liberty
Liberty Street (Manhattan)
Liberty Street is a street in New York City that stretches east-west from the middle of Lower Manhattan almost to the East River. It borders such sites as One Chase Manhattan Plaza, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, One Liberty Plaza, Liberty Plaza Park, the World Trade Center site, the World...
and Vesey Street
Vesey Street (Manhattan)
Vesey Street is a street in New York City that runs east-west in Lower Manhattan. The street is named after Rev. William Vesey , the first rector of nearby Trinity Church....
s.
See also
- List of tallest buildings in New York City
- 1 World Financial Center
- 3 World Financial Center
- 4 World Financial Center