1 World Trade Center won’t reach its official height of 1,776 foot, because Douglas Durst ( chairman of the Durst Organization) and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have decided to replace the sculptural cladding for the mast of WTC 1 with a functional antenna.
The sculptural cladding is a fiberglass and steel enclosure called a “radome”. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat announced that it will reserve its final decision until the completion in 2014. If the council drops the initial plans for a tapering enclosure, the building will be the third-tallest building in the US, after the Trump International Hotel and Tower (1,389-foot) and the Sears Tower (1,451-foot).
“This definitely raises questions, our criteria are very specific. We include spires and not antennas. If this is an antenna, it won’t be part of the height measurement. The cladding was an integral part of the design and made the extension part of the permanent look and feel of the building,” Kevin Brass ( public affairs manager for the Council) said in an interview on Tuesday.