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Austin J. Tobin Plaza

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Coordinates: 40°42′42″N 74°00′45″W / 40.71167°N 74.01250°W / 40.71167; -74.01250
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Austin J. Tobin Plaza
Public square
World Trade Center Plaza, Tobin Plaza
Top: The plaza, as seen in 1993. The Marriott World Trade Center can be seen in the background, between 1 and 2 World Trade Center. Bottom: 5 World Trade Center and the plaza, as seen after the September 11 attacks. The plaza and surrounding buildings were destroyed as a result of the attacks.
DesignMinoru Yamasaki
Construction1966
Completion1973
Opening dateApril 4, 1973
Destroyed dateSeptember 11, 2001
Cost$12 million (1999 USD)
Area5 acres (220,000 square feet)
Dedicated toAustin J. Tobin
OwnerPort Authority of New York and New Jersey
LocationWorld Trade Center, Lower Manhattan, New York City, New York
Coordinates: 40°42′42″N 74°00′45″W / 40.71167°N 74.01250°W / 40.71167; -74.01250

The Austin J. Tobin Plaza, also known as the World Trade Center Plaza or the Great Plaza, was a large public square that was located at the World Trade Center site from 1966 until its destruction during the September 11 attacks in 2001. It covered 5 acres (220,000 sq ft; 2.0 ha), making it the largest plaza in New York City by acreage at the time.

The plaza opened on April 4, 1973, and was renamed after Austin J. Tobin in 1982. The plaza was widely used by workers and tourists, and it was estimated that 50,000–80,000 people passed through the plaza on any given day. Several sculptures were located on the plaza, including The Sphere and Ideogram. In 1993, the plaza was damaged in a bombing; it was destroyed during the September 11 attacks.

Design

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At the center of the plaza was The Sphere, and rows of benches were arranged in a circular pattern around the sculpture.[1][2] The plaza was made of smooth marble and granite.[2] The plaza was landscaped,[2] and flowerbeds located near the benches were changed out seasonally.[3] A total of 37 staircases led up to the plaza,[4] and a staircase that led up to the plaza from Vesey Street was used to get to the plaza from 7 World Trade Center.[5][6]

History

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See also: Construction of the World Trade Center
The plaza, as seen in 1978. The plaza's three sculptures can be seen: Ideogram, at top left; The Sphere, center; Cloud Fortress, bottom center, between buildings 4 and 5.

In the spring of 1961, the plan for the World Trade Center was released to the public, and the site was to be located in New Jersey.[7] Due to heavy backlash,[7] in December of the same year the project was relocated to a 16-acre (700,000 sq ft; 6.5 ha) plot in Lower Manhattan.[7] The plaza itself was not brought into design until January 1964, when architect Minoru Yamasaki released the final model for the complex at a press conference.[7]

Development of the plaza began on August 5, 1966, as the construction of other buildings that were part of the World Trade Center took place.[8] The plaza was constructed to be supported by large steel columns that reached into the "Bathtub" below,[9][10] and the foundations for the towers were also built into the plaza. These foundations reached into the bedrock below.[9] The Bathtub, which helped hold the plaza, took up an underground space that reached to the West Side Highway and Greenwich Street.[9]

The plaza was inaugurated on April 4, 1973,[11] along with the other buildings in the complex.[12] In 1982, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey decided to rename the plaza in honor of its former executive director,[13] Austin J. Tobin, who promoted the construction of the towers.[14][15]

1993 bombing

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Main article: 1993 World Trade Center bombing
The underground garage below the plaza after the bombing

On February 26, 1993, a van bomb planted by al-Qaeda terrorists was detonated in the underground garage directly under the plaza, killing six and injuring over 1,000.[16] The plaza was heavily damaged, and the communications center near the plaza was destroyed.[17] A memorial was dedicated in 1995, and it was located outside of the Marriott World Trade Center until its destruction in 2001.[16] After the bombing, security was increased at the complex, and fire safety improvements were implemented.[18]

On February 26, 1995, a memorial fountain made of granite was dedicated in the Plaza to honor the victims of the 1993 bombing.[19] The fountain was designed by sculptor Elyn Zimmerman, just above the site of the explosion. It included an inscription with the names of the six victims of the attack, as well as a message that read: "On February 26, 1993, a bomb set by terrorists exploded below this site. This horrible act of violence killed innocent people, injured thousands, and made victims of us all."[20][21]

Renovations

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The plaza was renovated between 1998 and 1999.[2][22] The marble paving stones were replaced with gray and pink granite stones, new benches, planters, restaurants, food kiosks and outdoor eating areas were added. Trees were also planted, and lined the plaza entrances.[23] The total cost was $12 million (1999 USD).[22] The plaza covered 5 acres (220,000 sq ft; 2.0 ha),[3] and was the largest plaza in New York City while it existed.[3][24] Below the plaza was the Mall at the World Trade Center and a concourse.[25] It was estimated that 50,000–80,000 people passed through the plaza daily, prior to its destruction.[26]

Security

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The plaza was heavily monitored, and security cameras were placed on the rooftops of surrounding buildings to deter a potential terrorist attack. The cameras operated constantly, and more were installed facing the streets adjacent to the plaza. After the 1993 bombing, up to 300 security personnel were at the complex and plaza at any given time.[27]

Usage

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Concerts regularly took place on the plaza, and in the summer of 2000 an estimated 300,000 people attended at least one of the approximately 100 concerts that took place at the plaza.[28]

Destruction

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The plaza after the attacks. The pyramidal World Trade Center Sculpture, seen in the image, survived the collapse, but was later destroyed during recovery efforts.
Main articles: September 11 attacks, Collapse of the World Trade Center, and List of buildings damaged or destroyed in the September 11 attacks

On September 11, 2001, a terrorist attack unfolded at the World Trade Center site,[29] and the plaza became an evacuation route for civilians attempting to escape the area.[30] Although several people did use the plaza as an escape route, firefighters directed a majority of the people who were evacuating to the mall located beneath the plaza via the lobby in the North Tower.[31] Many people also evacuated the area by using the Vesey Street staircase, which connected the plaza to Vesey Street.[32]

When 1 and 2 World Trade Center collapsed, it is estimated that ~600,000 tons of debris fell onto the plaza. The plaza sustained heavy damage and was destroyed as a result of fires inside of the rubble in the hours after the attack. Only The Sphere, designed by Fritz Koenig, could be recovered, although it was heavily damaged. It is currently located in Liberty Park.[33]

Sculptures

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Further information: Artwork at the World Trade Center (1973–2001)
The Sphere sat atop a fountain in the center of the plaza.

Located on the plaza were several sculptures and art pieces.[34] The World Trade Center Plaza Sculpture, designed by Masayuki Nagare in 1972, was a set of two black-granite pyramids.[35] The 1993 World Trade Center Bombing Memorial by Elyn Zimmerman was dedicated in 1995;[36] it was a granite fountain dedicated to the 1993 bombing victims.[37] Fritz Koenig's bronze sculpture The Sphere, measuring 25 feet (7.6 m) high,[38][33] was dedicated in 1972.[39] Ideogram, a stainless-steel sculpture designed by James Rosati, was located on the plaza near the Marriott World Trade Center.[40][41] A sign reading Peace On Earth was first erected in 1998,[42] and it was positioned at the top of the stairs directly adjacent from the North Tower, where it stood until it was destroyed in the attacks.[43]

The 1993 bombing memorial was heavily damaged during the September 11 attacks, and only a small segment of the fountain survived.[44] The Sphere was heavily damaged and was relocated to Battery Park in 2002;[45] it was moved to Liberty Park at the World Trade Center site in 2016.[46] The Sphere is the only artwork from the original World Trade Center that was not substantially destroyed during the September 11 attacks.[47]

Surrounding buildings and structures

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Bird's-eye view of the World Trade Center site plan. The plaza covered a majority of the complex.

The plaza was surrounded by all seven buildings of the World Trade Center Complex. 1 World Trade Center was located on the west-facing side of the plaza adjacent to West Street and 2 World Trade Center was located on the south side of the plaza. Marriott World Trade Center (also known as 3 World Trade Center) was located on the southwestern corner of the plaza in between the towers.[48]

4 World Trade Center, adjacent to the South Tower, was positioned on the southeastern edge of the plaza bounded by Liberty and Church streets.[49] 5 World Trade Center was located directly opposite of 4, bounded by Church and Vesey Street,[50] and 6 World Trade Center was located on the northwestern edge of the plaza bounded by Vesey Street.[50]

7 World Trade Center was located on an adjacent street, and was connected to the plaza via the Vesey Street stairs.[32] The World Financial Center (now known as Brookfield Place)[51] was also adjacent to the plaza's west side.[52][53] The Millennium Downtown New York Hotel, located on the corner of Fulton Street across the street from the eastern edge of the plaza,[54] was heavily damaged in the September 11 attacks.[55][50]

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ "The Sphere: A Symbol of NYC's Resilience". Lonely Planet. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "From Zen Garden to Piazza, A Plaza Gets a New Look". New York Times. June 20, 1999. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "The World Trade Center In the Port of New York-New Jersey" (PDF). Anthony W. Robins. January 1996. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  4. ^ "WTC Staircase Moved". ABC30 Fresno. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  5. ^ "A Vital Escape Route on 9-11, World Trade Center Staircase To Be Moved". Daily News. March 7, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  6. ^ "About the Museum | National September 11 Memorial & Museum". www.911memorial.org. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d "World Trade Center (1942–2002) | American Experience | PBS". www.pbs.org. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  8. ^ "World Trade Center, New York City, detail view of model of the plaza". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Hamburger, Ronald; Baker, William; Barnett, Jonathon; Marrion, Christopher; Milke, James; Nelson, Harold "Bud" (2002). "WTC1 and WTC2" (PDF). FEMA. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  10. ^ Buyukozturk, Oral; Ulm, Franz-Josef (2021). "Materials and structures" (PDF). MIT. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  11. ^ "The grand opening of the World Trade Center on April 4, 1973; Richard Nixon, labor strikes and "General Motors Gothic"". The Bowery Boys: New York City History. April 3, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  12. ^ "Today Marks 42nd Anniversary of WTC Dedication | National September 11 Memorial & Museum". 911memorial.org. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  13. ^ "World Trade Center (1942–2002) | American Experience | PBS". www.pbs.org. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  14. ^ Gillespie 1999, p. 123. "In 1982 the Port Authority named the plaza—site of summertime concerts—the Austin J. Tobin Plaza."
  15. ^ "Bench, Recovered". 9/11 Memorial & Museum. 2019. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  16. ^ a b "1993 WTC Bombing As Told Through Artifacts | National September 11 Memorial & Museum". www.911memorial.org. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  17. ^ Langewiesche, William (August 2002). "American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center". EBSCO. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  18. ^ Smith, Sandy (September 10, 2004). "Report: 1993 WTC Bombing Probably Saved Lives On 9/11". EHS Today. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  19. ^ "9/11 Memorial Timeline". timeline.911memorial.org. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  20. ^ "February 26, 1995. Memorial dedicated to bombing victims". 9/11 Memorial Timeline. Ciudad de Nueva York. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  21. ^ "1993 WTC Bombing Memorial | Voices Center for Resilience". voicescenter.org. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  22. ^ a b "Grand Opening oF Plaza at WTC". New York Daily News. June 20, 1999. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  23. ^ "At New Trade Center, Seeking Lively (but Secure) Streets". New York Times. December 7, 2006. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  24. ^ "World Trade Center Facts and Figures | National September 11 Memorial & Museum". www.911memorial.org. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  25. ^ "Land Use, Public Policy, and Neighborhood Character (Chapter 4C)" (PDF). NYDOT. September 30, 2004. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  26. ^ "World Trade Center Historical Marker". Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  27. ^ Fischbach, Amy Florence (March 2001). "Towering Security". EBSCO. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  28. ^ "ONSTAGE AT THE TWIN TOWERS ANNOUNCES SUMMER 2001 SCHEDULE -- FOUR MONTHS OF FREE MUSIC, DANCE, THEATRE PERFORMANCES BEGIN JUNE 8". www.panynj.gov. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  29. ^ "September 11 attacks | History, Summary, Location, Timeline, Casualties, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. September 4, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  30. ^ Dunlap, David W. (January 17, 2008). "Extracting Survivors' Stairway for a Home at the 9/11 Museum". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  31. ^ Fritsch, Jane (September 12, 2001). "A Day of Terror: the Response; Rescue Workers Rush In, And Many Do Not Return". The New York Times. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  32. ^ a b Dunlap, David W. (January 17, 2008). "Extracting Survivors' Stairway for a Home at the 9/11 Museum". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  33. ^ a b Valle, Lauren del (July 22, 2016). "World Trade Center sphere to come home". CNN. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  34. ^ "Art and Artists at the World Trade Center | National September 11 Memorial & Museum". www.911memorial.org. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  35. ^ Wenegrat, Saul (February 28, 2002). "September 11th: Art Loss, Damage, and Repercussions – Proceedings of an IFAR Symposium on February 28, 2002". ifar.org. International Foundation For Art Research. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
  36. ^ "NYC Bombing Memorial Dedicated". The Ithaca Journal. May 26, 1995. p. 4. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  37. ^ Carbonell, Bettina Messias (2012). Museum Studies: An Anthology of Contexts. Wiley. p. 112. ISBN 978-1-4051-7381-0. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  38. ^ Adlon, Percy (2001). "Koenig's Sphere". Leora Films, Inc. Archived from the original on September 28, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  39. ^ Klein, Holger A. (December 1972). "From Ganslberg to Manhattan, Fritz Koenig's Great Caryatid Sphere N.Y. (1967–1972)" (PDF). Columbia Art & History. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  40. ^ Wenegrat, Saul (February 28, 2002). "September 11th: Art Loss, Damage, and Repercussions – Proceedings of an IFAR Symposium on February 28, 2002". ifar.org. International Foundation For Art Research. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
  41. ^ Quay, Sara E.; Damico, Amy M. (2010). September 11 in Popular Culture: A Guide: A Guide. United States of America: ABC-CLIO. p. 265. ISBN 978-0-313-35505-9.
  42. ^ "Holidays at the World Trade Center". National September 11 Memorial & Museum. September 11, 2001. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  43. ^ "Holidays at the World Trade Center | National September 11 Memorial & Museum". www.911memorial.org. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  44. ^ "A Fragment of History | National September 11 Memorial & Museum". www.911memorial.org. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  45. ^ Hargittai, I.; Hargittai, M. (2017). New York Scientific: A Culture of Inquiry, Knowledge, and Learning. Oxford University Press. p. 264. ISBN 978-0-19-876987-3. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  46. ^ Dunlap, David W. (July 21, 2016). "Enduring 'Sphere' Sculpture to Return to World Trade Center Site". The New York Times. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  47. ^ Blakemore, Erin (August 22, 2017). "The World Trade Center's Only Surviving Art Heads Home". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  48. ^ "Inside the World Trade Center Marriott Hotel on September 11 | National September 11 Memorial & Museum". www.911memorial.org. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  49. ^ Gillespie 1999, p. 213. "... Four World Trade Center, at the southeast corner of the complex, is New York's headquarters for commodities trading."
  50. ^ a b c Barnett, Jonathon; Gewain, Richard; Gilsanz, Ramon; Nelson, Harold "Bud". "WTC4, 5 & 6" (PDF). FEMA. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  51. ^ "Brookfield Place: Best NYC Destination for Shopping & Dining". Brookfield Place New York | BFPL. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  52. ^ "New York Metro – World Trade Center Attack". New York. September 11, 2002. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
  53. ^ "The World Financial Center | Wired New York". Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  54. ^ Postal, Matthew (July 31, 2018). "AT&T Corporate Headquarters Building (later Sony Plaza, now 550 Madison Avenue)" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  55. ^ "Millenium Hilton Hotel", Demo Process Wire. Accessed January 5, 2016.

Sources

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  • Gillespie, Angus K. (1999). Twin Towers: The Life of New York City's World Trade Center (1st ed.). New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. p. 263. ISBN 0-8135-2742-2.
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