The two massive buildings of the World Trade Center are the tallest structures on Manhattan Island. The twin towers designed by Minoru Yamasaki and Associates in the early 1970s stand 1,350 feet, surpassing the Empire State Building by 100 feet, but the World Trade Center's faceless Modernist aesthetic lacks the character that has made its predecessor an enduring urban landmark. After a run of initial publicity, and a prominent appearance in the 1976 remake of the film King Kong, the World Trade Center began to fade into the urban fabric, failing to become the symbol of New York City that its developers had hoped. It has, however, become an icon of corporate America to some discontented groups. In February, 1993, one of the towers was bombed by Islamic terrorists attempting to strike a blow at the heart of American society. Amazingly, the building survived with no structural damage.

Further Reading:

Douglas, George H. Skyscrapers: A Social History of the Very Tall Building in America. Jefferson, North Carolina, and London, McFarland & Company, Inc., 1996.

Goldberger, Paul. The Skyscraper. New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.