From the moment you enter Four World Trade Center, you are overwhelmed by a state of the art office building which takes its place in hstory when it becomes the first office building to open on the 16-acre site.
"The World Trade Center is not only rebuilt, but we're making it great, part of New York again," said Janno Lieber, president of World Trade Center Properties.
You enter into a lobby that is the largest by volume of any office building in Manhattan, developers claim. The outside is brought inside through large clear windows.
The granite floor is cut to look like the bark of trees. And an enormous dark granite wall reflecting One World Trade and the 9/11 Memorial.
"We're making all the buildings green, energy efficient, and better places to work so people like to come here," said Lieber.
There is unique video art on display as well.
('Now it is a showplace?') "Yes, what we have got today is something that is extraordinary," said businessman Larry Silverstein.
Who better to exclusively show me the world-class features of this 72-story office building than Silverstein, whose property companies oversee several buildings here.
As he showed the spectacular view, Silverstein said Four World Trade is setting a new standard.
"You look at the quality of the design, the quality of the buildings' architecture designed by a prize-winning architect, Fumihiko Maki," said Silverstein.
Greenwich Street will be opened once again through the trade center past Four, for the first time since the 1960's.
Offering large open floor plans, there are spectacular views on all four sides for expected worldwide companies as tenants. And one lucky tenant will have access to a large terrace on the 57th floor for private use. 50 percent of the building is already leased.
"Private sector tenants wanted to see that the World Trade Center has become a place of commerce and energy and technology," said Lieber. "Now we're able to show them that. I think we are going to lease up quickly."
The ribbon cutting for Four World Trade occurs next Wednesday, followed later by the openings of World Trade Center Three, then Two.
"Iconic in every sense by Norman Foster. So the language of each building is totally different from the others," said Silverstein.
