GlobeSt.com UPDATE: Freedom Tower Redesign Makes Its Debut

NEW YORK CITY-”This safe and secure environment will continue the commercial revival,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg during today’s unveiling of a revised Freedom Tower design. The site will still contain 2.6 million sf of office space, replacing one quarter of the office space that was lost in 9/11. The redesign was necessary after police officials addressed a number of security concerns with the original design.

The tower’s footprint is now the same size as the footprints of the original Twin Towers. As the tower itself rises from its cubic base, its square edges are chamfered back, transforming the square into eight tall isosceles triangles in elevation. At its middle, the tower forms a perfect octagon in plan and then culminates in an observation deck and glass parapet with elevation levels of 1,362 ft and 1,368 ft, which were the heights of the original towers. A mast similar to Liberty’s torch will extend the height to 1,776 ft.