NEW YORK CITY-One World Trade Center, the 3.5 million-square-foot skyscraper being constructed in place of the Twin Towers that were destroyed on September 11th, reclaimed the title of the tallest skyscraper in New York City after ironworkers installed two steel beams on top of the tower, making it officially surpassing the height of the Empire State Building on Monday afternoon.

A day marked by celebration and reflection, officials from the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, the Durst Organization, Tishman Construction, Cushman & Wakefield and Skidmore Owings & Merrill looked on as the two, 26-foot columns with the numbers "1271" signifying the building's height were placed on top of the skyscraper.

At a media briefing following the ceremony, Scott Rechler, Port Authority vice chairman and chairman and CEO of RXR Realty LLC, described the moment as much more than an iconic symbol for the region, but a sign of “liberty and pride” for the entire country. “It is a symbol of determination and ingenuity of the men and women who have worked tirelessly to build what is perhaps the most complex construction project in our history,” he said. “You can see from the people working here, this is more than a job to build this incredible tower, but it is an act of passion and an act of patriotic duty.”