The City College of New York
Past of The World Trade Center V.S The Future of the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
Edgar Azuara
FIQWIS 10013
November 29th, 2024
When it comes to the world trade center, what is the first thing that comes to mind. Is it the process of how they made the World Trade Center? The Neighborhood that was placed there before? Or even the thought of one of the most traumatic New York events of all time, 9/11. Well this writing will be talking about every single period of time that had pretty drastic changes around this landscape. We can go back to the past where there were no huge buildings and neighborhoods. I will also briefly talk about what I think the World Trade Center will be rebranded as in the future, not saying that it will be completely DESTROYED or anything dark like that, I’m saying more as the actual development on moving forward with the Future and not letting the tragedy of 9/11 keep us behind from building huge Towers once again.
Before the construction of the World Trade Center, or just the creation of New York City and its surrounding developments, was part of the natural landscape of the island of Manhattan., specifically Lower Manhattan In pre-colonial times, this land was inhabited by the Lenape people, an Indigenous group who lived in the area for thousands of years. The land itself would have looked different from the dense urban environment that developed during the development of New York. The area was primarily marshy and coastal, with salt marshes, tidal flats, and streams running through the lower Manhattan area. The Hudson River and East River bordered the island, with natural shorelines that were not yet altered by human development. The land along the river’s edge would have been undeveloped,with natural vegetation and wildlife. (In other words people could ACTUALLY appreciate life before all these buildings ruined it)
Radio Row, a once-vibrant district in Lower Manhattan, and the larger urban battles over redevelopment in mid-20th-century New York City. Radio Row, located primarily on the streets surrounding Cortlandt Street, was a bustling neighborhood from the 1920s through the 1950s, populated by small electronics shops and radio equipment dealers. During its popular days, it became a critical part of the city’s burgeoning technology industry, serving as a place for people selling radios, parts, and accessories to both consumers and businesses. The district, with its concentration of radio-related commerce, was emblematic of the rapid technological advancements that shaped the city during the early 20th century. However, by the late 1950s and early 1960s, the fate of Radio Row was sealed as part of a broader trend of urban renewal that swept through Manhattan. The city’s plans for redevelopment, particularly the construction of the World Trade Center, required the demolition of Radio Row. The controversy and resistance that surrounded the decision to raze the area, the tension between progress and keeping Radio Row the same. For many business owners and residents, Radio Row represented more than just a commercial district—it was a place where there were lives, communities, and networks.
The creation of the World Trade Center and the architectural innovations that made the Twin Towers was groundbreaking for their time. The design choices were made by architect Minoru Yamasaki and structural engineer Leslie Robertson, focusing on the towers’ unique features, such as their innovative use of a “tube” design, which allowed the creation of large open spaces inside while still ensuring the buildings’ structural integrity. This design, along with their sheer scale, made the Twin Towers a global icon and a symbol of New York’s strength on the world stage. Also, the Twin Towers became a huge part of the American public, representing not only the economic power of the United States but also the country’s resilience and optimism. The towers were seen as symbols of New York City’s postwar resurgence and a testament to American ingenuity and ambition. Bennett situates the towers within the cultural fabric of New York, considering their role in the city’s skyline and the way they were embraced as an integral part of the urban landscape. Importantly, the significance of the Twin Towers in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. He analyzes how the fall of the towers fundamentally reshaped not only the physical landscape of Lower Manhattan but also the collective memory of the events of 9/11. The destruction of the Twin Towers became a powerful symbol of vulnerability, loss, and national trauma, yet also a rallying point for resilience and rebuilding. The legacy of the towers, Bennett argues, is inseparable from the trauma of 9/11, and their history continues to shape the cultural and architectural developments that followed.
The 9/11 Memorial Museum, located at where the World Trade Center was located, serves as both a historical monument and a cultural artifact that shapes collective memory and national identity. Sturken explores the design and curatorial choices behind the museum, focusing on how the site has been transformed into a space for mourning, reflection, and commemoration. Central to the museum’s purpose is the way it attempts to balance personal tragedy with national significance, offering a space for visitors to connect with the victims of the attacks while also reflecting broader themes of resilience and American unity. The political and social implications of the museum’s creation, asking how the memorial functions within the context of post-9/11 America. The challenges of presenting a complex, traumatic event like 9/11 with such a pleasant place such as a museum setting, where the process of remembering can be both a form of healing and a tool for constructing a particular narrative about the past. The museum’s curatorial decisions—such as the display of artifacts, the inclusion of survivor testimonies, and the framing of the site’s transformation—are deeply intertwined with the construction of a national story of recovery and resilience. Lastly the more broad problems of this redevelopment, reflects the dynamics of public memory, historical representation, and the commercial interests that shaped the rebuilding process
When it comes to the future ideas of the World Trade Center, I can see the World Trade Center being used for even bigger buildings then there are currently. Yes this sounds unreasonable for now considering the 9/11 attack was so recent in New York’s timeline, but the creation of another tower or towers would put lots of resilience, I say this because for an achievement of making the Twin Towers, really made New York stand out and made the United States stand out when it came to being in the agriculture world. If there was another building that was extraordinarily big, maybe even bigger than the Twin Towers, New York would have its pride again. This would also spark some remembrance of the Twin Towers obviously because such a big building will be compared. The same people who saw the Twin Towers everyday, and sadly saw it crumble, will also be the same people to have the chance to glimpse a new really tall building, that will undeniably restore the missing part of their hearts. This future Building/Building’s wouldn’t just be a regular tall building, it would be the development of moving forward from our Tragic events, and improving and being better than we were before.
What would I say about the World Trade Center? Considering I’ve been researching this place for the last month or so, I could say a lot. The World Trade Center was home of one of, if not the most iconic and most impactful Towers ever created in New York City. It’s crazy to think about where it all started, from a place animals could probably run around and have life in, to tribes being settled without any big buildings, and then these MASSIVE buildings with much Labor put into the development came out. To say Urban development increased massively is still an understatement. Even the creation of a community because of such a small piece of the massive land of Manhattan, Radio Row had the creation and destruction of its community, because of the creation of the World Trade Center. So we should always stop and realize what we lost in the process of every building in New York, and what we gained from it.
Reference Sheet:
1; McCully, Betsy. Lenape Native: “The History and Culture of New York’s First People.” 12 Nov. 2018. New York Nature
https://newyorknature.us/lenapes/
2; Lorenzini, Michael. 2024. “Radio Row and the Fight for Lower Manhattan.” NYC Department of Records & Information Services, January 6, 2024.
https://www.archives.nyc/blog/2024/1/5/radio-row-and-the-fight-for-lower-manhattan.
3: Bennett, Michael. 2023. “Foundations from History: The Twin Towers.” Foundations from History: The Twin Towers. September 11, 2023. https://www.geoinstitute.org/news/foundations-history-twin-towers.
4: History.com Editors. 2019. “World Trade Center, Then the World’s Tallest Building, Opens in New York City.” HISTORY. November 12, 2019. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/world-trade-center-opens-in-new-york-city
5: Marita Sturken. 2024. “The 9/11 Memorial Museum and the Remaking of Ground Zero” Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press, 2016, Pages 471 – 472.
https://muse-jhu-edu.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/article/583620
6: “World Trade Center Facts and Figures.” National September 11 Memorial & Museum. October 23, 2024.
7: Tognini, Giacomo. 2021. “Larry Silverstein, Durst, Oculus: 20 Years and $20 Billion After 9/11, the World Trade Center Is Still a Work in Progress.” Forbes, September 10, 2021.
