Interesting Photo of the Day: Sunrise Photo of the Twin Towers During Construction

Interesting Photos  •  Sunrise Photography

Years after the collapse of the World Trade Center, the senseless tragedy is still fresh in most Americans’ minds. Though construction on the new World Trade Center has been completed, and 1 World Trade Center now stands in the Twin Towers’ place, the New York skyline, depicted in countless photographs, will never be the same.

The original World Trade Center, designed by Minoru Yamasaki, took seven years to build. Its architecture was innovative, and the project monumental–164 buildings had to be torn down to make room for its construction, and it was to be the tallest building in the world. The North and South Towers were constructed around central core columns and had load-bearing walls, which made for an interesting, hollow look during construction. This photo, taken at sunrise in 1972, is a rare and beautiful look at the towers under construction the year before the WTC’s ceremonial opening on April 4, 1973.

1972 Construction of World Trade Center (Via Imgur, Click for Larger Size)

Construction of 1 World Trade Center, designed to replace and pay homage to the original twin towers, began in 2006. The main tower, with its illuminated antenna, is 1,776 feet tall–the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. The image below, taken in August 2012 during the tower’s construction, makes for an interesting comparison–it shows a far different scene from the original photo.

1 World Trade Center Construction (Via Imgur)

The new World Trade Center complex was completed in 2015.