- The new observatory for One World Trade Center will be open to public May 29
- The One World Observatory offers spectacular, wraparound views stretching 50 miles past the Manhattan skyline and Statue of Liberty to the Atlantic Ocean
- Visitors who enter the observatory encounter a delicate balance of future and past, with only brief references to the twin towers that were slammed by terrorist-hijacked planes on September 11, 2001
- It also features a display called 'City Pulse,' a ring of high-definition video monitors marking popular city activities, neighborhoods and 'hot spots'
- The observatory will be open to adults for $32, and less for seniors and children — comparable to fees for the Empire State Building
PUBLISHED: 15:11 GMT, 20 May 2015 | UPDATED: 01:53 GMT, 21 May 2015
From the top of One World Trade Center, the nation's tallest building, it really does seem as if you can 'see forever.'
Those two words are the motto of the center's new observatory that opens May 29, offering spectacular, wraparound views stretching 50 miles past the Manhattan skyline and Statue of Liberty to the Atlantic Ocean.
But even when the 1,776-foot building disappears into the clouds, as it did on a recent day, there are still plenty of high-tech videos and multimedia displays that reflect the hope and optimism of a building and a city that rose from the ruins of the nation's deadliest terror attack.
Scroll down for video
Amazing: A visitor to One World Observatory looks over Manhattan on Wednesday. The observatory atop the 104-story One World Trade Center opens to the public on May 29
Bird's-eye view: New York's Financial District, foreground, the Brooklyn Bridge and East River, center, and in the distance Brooklyn are seen from the observatory at One World Trade Center
Way down below: A view through the Sky Portal shows a live video view of the streets below from One World Observatory. Visitors can stand on a round video platform that shows an actual livestream of the view straight down
Perched above: The Financial District and the World Trade Center, lower center, can also be viewed from the new tourist attraction
'This is a reminder of moving forward,' said David Checketts, the CEO of Legends, which operates the $86 million observatory atop the 104-story skyscraper. 'The World Trade Center got knocked down and we built if back up.'
Visitors who enter the One World Observatory — its official name — encounter a delicate balance of future and past, with only brief references to the twin towers that were slammed by terrorist-hijacked planes on Sept. 11, 2001, killing more than 2,700 people.
Just above the street-level entrance, faces of men and women who toiled to erect the mammoth, gleaming tower appear in a jagged tunnel that replicates the trade center's bedrock, their recorded voices filled with both pain and pride.
And during the lightning-fast, 48-second elevator ride up to the 102nd floor, a three-dimensional, time-lapse panorama shows 515 years of history at the tip of Manhattan, with the twin towers appearing for less than four seconds before dissolving out of view.
Stepping from the elevator, visitors are greeted with display panels showing 3-D, bird's eye scenes of the metropolis. The panels then lift to reveal New York City — right now.
Across the way: Observatory visitors will also be able to check out the Jersey City skyline
Bustling: Midtown Manhattan, including the Empire State Building, center, is seen from the observation deck. Visitors who enter observatory encounter a delicate balance of future and past, with only brief references to terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001
On the waterfront: A ferry passes the Manhattan Bridge in this view. During the elevator ride up to observatory, a three-dimensional, time-lapse panorama shows 515 years of history at the tip of Manhattan, with the twin towers appearing for less than four seconds
Open to the public: The observatory, which opens May 29, charges $32 for each adult ticket, and less for seniors and children — comparable to Empire State Building fees. Tickets may be purchased online, for a precise time to avoid overcrowding
There's another display called 'City Pulse,' a ring of high-definition video monitors marking popular city activities, neighborhoods and 'hot spots.' A wave of the hand in the direction of any of these subjects opens the latest details on everything from sports and theater to the best pizza locations. For an additional $15, visitors may use iPads that scan the skyline, popping up imagery and information narrated by novelist Jay McInerney.
There's no need to creep to observatory's edge for a dizzying view of the city about a quarter-mile below. Visitors can stand on a round video platform that shows an actual livestream of the view straight down.
And perhaps the most hair-raising moment of the whole visit is the elevator ride down. LED screens surrounding passengers simulate the flight of a bird or plane high above the site, dipping and soaring around the skyscrapers all the way back to the ground.
The observatory is open to adults for $32, and less for seniors and children — comparable to Empire State Building fees. Tickets may be purchased online, for a precise time to avoid overcrowding.
Checketts, who expects about 3 million to 4 million visitors a year, said the symbolic importance of the building makes a visit to the observatory a special experience.
'I was just looking out at the Statue of Liberty, and frankly, I got emotional about it,' he said of his first visit. 'It's this point in New York, in this city that we all love and it's rebuilt. It's back up.'
Unwind: A view from a dining area in One World Observatory has a view of the Hudson River
Feature: Eric Robinson, center, demonstrates City Pulse. The interactive ring of high-definition monitors allows guests to view landmarks and neighborhoods that they view from above
Workers: A video screen called Voices is shown at the entrance to One World Observatory. The 144 monitor screen tells the personal stories of the men and women who built One World Trade Center
Downtown: The USS Barry passes by One World Trade Center, top, in lower Manhattan
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3089622/Atop-One-World-Trade-Center-high-tech-views-bustling-NYC.html#ixzz3ajzJEpaP
No comments:
Post a Comment