This masterpiece of modern engineering was designed by David Childs, a eminent architect of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill. The One World Trade Center was developed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Durst Organization.

The design of One World Trade Center is an innovative architectural mix of structure, safety, urban design and sustainability. Construction started on April 27, 2006 and the building was opened on November 3, 2014. The Freedom Tower, now known as the One World Trade Center, is symbolic of the nation's commitment to rise above the 9/11 terror attacks and established a new architectural landmark and icon for New York City.

Freedom Tower, One World Trade Center Facts for kids

The original Twin Towers World Trade Center in New York survived the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing but just a few years later were totally destroyed on Tuesday September 11, 2001 by the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.

The deaths and devastation caused by the terror attacks broke the hearts of the nation but not their spirit. Within weeks of the terror attacks New Yorkers led by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) were planning the reconstruction of the World Trade Center site.

By May 2002, The cleanup of Ground Zero officially ended in May 2002, during which time workers had moved more than 108,000 truckloads, nearly 2 million tons of rubble, to a Staten Island landfill. By July 2002 emergency actions were completed and work began on the temporary World Trade Center PATH station.

In August 2002 architects from around the world were invited to submit ideas for the World Trade Center site to preserve the memory of the victims of the terror attacks, and to revive New York City's economy and skyline.

In February 2003 "Memory Foundations" by architect Daniel Libeskind was selected as the new design master plan for the World Trade Center site.

Governor George Pataki, who served as the 53rd Governor of New York (1995–2006), gave a speech on April 24, 2003 in which the planned building was given the name "Freedom Tower".

In July 2003 the eminent architect David Childs, of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, was selected to design Freedom Tower and it was decided that the tower would occupy the northwest corner of ground zero. The two towers were joined into one tower to symbolize unity of American people in times of tardegy.

The One World Trade Center was to be developed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in collaboration with the Durst Organization.

On Independence Day on July 4, 2004 the cornerstone of Freedom Tower, known as the "Freedom Stone", was laid during a special ceremony by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Over 5ft tall, the rectangular 20-ton slab of black granite was inscribed with words calling it a "tribute to the enduring spirit of freedom".

May 4, 2005  Governor George Pataki announced that Freedom Tower would need to be redesigned due to security concerns and on June 29, 2005 the revised plans for Freedom Tower were released..

The project was delayed due to disputes over design, security and money but the finally major issues were resolved on April 26, 2006 with a deal between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the developer Larry Silverstein.

On April 27, 2006 construction began on the Freedom Tower and the "Freedom Stone" was temporarily removed from the site to Hauppauge, New York, whist building work was in progress

On March 26, 2009 the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that going forward the building will no longer be referred to as Freedom Tower. It would be called by its legal name and address of One World Trade Center.

The reason for the name change from  Freedom Tower to One World Trade Center (1WTC) was that it would be more practical to market the tallest building in New York as the former north tower's name.

The re-naming decision, made for financial reasons, was criticized by many. Governor George Pataki was furious and asserted the building would continue to be known by patriotic Americans as Freedom Tower.

The "Freedom Stone" never became part of the tower now called One World Trade Center. It now stands in an industrial precinct in Yaphank, Long Island.

Construction workers bolted the last pieces of a 408-foot spire on top of the One World Trade Center, into place on May 10, 2013, bringing the building to a height of 1,776 feet.

The building was opened on November 3, 2014 and the first tenant, Conde Nast, moved into the tower.

The address is One World Trade Center, 285 Fulton St, New York, NY 10007, United States

The Freedom Tower, now known as the One World Trade Center (1WTC), has 94 floors and rises exactly 1,776 feet to the tip of its antenna, signifying the year the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence.

The height of the Freedom Tower itself is 1,368, the same as the original Twin Towers, but the addition of the antenna spire adds 408 feet, giving the total height as 1,776 feet.

The slender, tapering building rises upward in a faceted, crystalline form capturing and reflecting light. The building captures an ever-evolving display of refracted light as the sun moves through the sky.

The tapered corners shine in the sun and also add superior wind resistance.

At night, a beacon at the top of the 'Freedom Tower' sends out a horizontal light beam, which can be seen from miles around.

As the tower rises from a cubic base with its chamfered edges are cut away to make a symmetrical sloping edge composed of 8 elongated isosceles triangles. The cubic base has a footprint identical to the original Twin Towers.

The surface of the 200 feet cubic base is clad in more than 2,000 pieces of shimmering prismatic glass.

At its middle, the tower forms a perfect octagon. It culminates in a square, glass parapet at the 150ft x 150ft square at the crown, rotated 45 degrees from the base.

The 408 feet antenna spire is protected by a fiberglass panel that resists wind load and is used for broadcasting and digital communications

On May 29, 2015 the observation deck, the One World Observatory, was opened to provide tourists with a breath taking view of Manhattan, that loops around 360 degrees, from about 1,250 feet up in the air.

The One World Observatory complex features three restaurants, an exhibit called Voices about the construction of One World Trade Center and a circular platform area called the Sky Portal with a live video feed of ground level street scenes.

The tower is one of the country's safest buildings with a center core surrounded by concrete. The core holds stairwells, elevators, gas and water lines, communication systems and an emergency lift for fire fighters. Emergency items, such as water, generators and ventilators are also be kept in the center core.

Having previously been a target for terrorist attacks the One World Trade Center safety features include dense fireproofing, extra wide pressurized stairs, backup emergency lighting, concrete protection for sprinkler systems, biochemical filters, ultra strength concrete and increased impact resistance.

The cost of the construction of the One World Trade Center totaled over $3.9.