New York, May 23, 2006 – The VIA Group and Silverstein Properties were joined today by public officials, architects, builders, artists, downtown residents, local school children and area workers for a celebration to mark the opening of 7 World Trade Center, the first destroyed skyscraper to be rebuilt since September 11.
VIA concepted the event and created the marketing materials, which included invitations, print advertisements, posters, banners and a Web site that captured the grandeur and importance of the building. This communications activity followed a series of print advertisements that ran earlier this spring in The New York Times petitioning for public support of Silverstein’s continued development and renewal of the World Trade Center site.
The ceremony began with Irish tenor Ronan Tynan singing “God Bless America.” The event also featured the unveiling of a bright red sculpture called “Balloon Flower” by world-renowned artist Jeff Koons and an official ribbon cutting for the 52-story, 1.7 million-square-foot office tower at 250 Greenwich Street.
The event included a free, two-hour, outdoor public concert featuring Lou Reed, Suzanne Vega, Ollabelle, Citizen Cope, Pharaoh’s Daughter, Brazilian Girls, Ronan Tynan and Bill Ware Vibes.
“7 World Trade Center is much more than the newest office tower in New York–it is a symbol of the city’s resilience and spirit. We have reclaimed an important part of the downtown skyline, and in doing so, we have set new standards in environmental quality, life safety and innovation,” said Larry Silverstein, president of Silverstein Properties, Inc.
The shimmering glass tower was designed by David Childs, the same architect who designed the still-to-be-constructed Freedom Tower, intended as the symbolic replacement for the trade center towers. To create a more vibrant and unified neighborhood, Mr. Childs designed sleeker buildings, which allow for the reintroduction of Greenwich Street through the World Trade Center site and for the creation of a new triangular neighborhood park.
As the first “green” office building in New York City, 7 World Trade Center has been recognized for its pioneering approach to providing occupants with cleaner air and more natural light, while conserving energy and other natural resources. It received the gold certificate for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) from the U.S. Green Building Council. In addition, it has adopted newer safety standards, with wider stairwells and 2-foot-thick concrete walls.
The entire building is 52 stories with tenant floors starting at the 11th floor above street level. The surface surrounding the lower 10 stories of the building was designed by Mr. Childs in collaboration with world-renowned artist and MacArthur Fellow, James Carpenter, and is a study in reflected color and light. The surface is calibrated to create the illusion of depth through the use of natural light during the day and programmed LED projection sequences at night. To further complement the kinetic nature of the surfaces, conceptual artist Jenny Holzer has created a lobby installation with moving text chronicling the history of the city through poems.
Last fall, The New York Times featured a four-panel gatefold spread insert created by VIA, inviting business leaders to explore the newest addition to the Manhattan skyline. Since then, 7 World Trade Center has signed on three tenants and attracted the interest of a number of prospective tenants. Silverstein moved his development company’s offices into 7 World Trade Center last week, and three architects who are designing the towers planned for ground zero have set up shop on another floor in the building in order to collaborate more effectively together. Ameriprise Financial Inc. and the New York Academy of Sciences plan to move in by fall. A Chinese developer, Beijing Vantone Real Estate Co. Ltd., signed a tentative agreement to rent the top five floors.
“The opening of 7 World Trade Center is a historic day for VIA, Silverstein and this country,” said John Coleman, VIA’s CEO and founding partner. “Once again, our work has broken the boundaries of traditional real estate advertising. We are proud of the work we have completed and equally proud to be a part of this extraordinary day.”
About Silverstein Properties, Inc.
Silverstein Properties is a Manhattan-based real estate development and investment firm that has developed, owned and managed more than 20 million square feet of office, residential and retail space. The firm also built the 3.1 million-square-foot Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC, the largest privately developed office building in the United States, occupied entirely by the United States government.
In July 2001, Silverstein completed the largest real estate transaction in New York history by acquiring the 10 million-square-foot World Trade Center, only to see it destroyed by terrorist attacks six weeks later on September 11. Silverstein has committed to the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site.
The redevelopment of the site will have a substantial impact on the New York area economy. According to a report by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, “Rebuilding of the World Trade Center will generate $15 billion in total economic output in New York City and an average of 8,000 jobs each year for 13 years.”
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