The riveting story behind the most expensive skyscraper ever built is finally being told in full, thanks to the new book One World Trade Center: Biography of the Building by Judith Dupré, who was granted unprecedented access to the project’s key players as she chronicled the 104-story landmark’s epic construction. The 284-page account starts on September 12, 2001, with then-mayor Rudy Giuliani’s declaration that the site would be rebuilt, and it vividly depicts the ensuing 15 years, during which Ground Zero was transformed into one of lower Manhattan’s busiest hubs. The volume also features more than 250 photos as well as plans of the building and surrounding area, including many never-before-seen images of the construction…
Designed by architect David Childs, of the firm Skidmore Owings & Merrill, the 1,776-foot-tall edifice (anchored by Condé Nast, which owns Architectural Digest) cost a staggering $3.9 billion to build and went through several iterations before the ultimate design was determined.