World Trade Center spire completed

The New York City skyline looks a little different today, now that the spire for 1 World Trade Center is permanently attached to the top of the building. The spire helped the tower reach 1,776 feet, making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

“This really is a symbolic moment because this building really represents the resiliency of this country,” Port Authority Vice Chair Scott Rechler told Matt Lauer on Today this morning. “These people, the thousand men and women who have worked here tirelessly, really as a tribute for the people that perished on 9-11 right on this site.”

According to USA Today, the spire is 408 feet tall and weighs 758 tons. It features a broadcast antennae and a light that will be seen for miles.

1 World Trade Center was built on the northwest corner of where the Twin Towers once stood. The buildings were destroyed on Sept. 11, 2011 in the terrorist attack that day. Four World Trade Center, which will stand 72-stories is also being built in the area.

Thanks to the spire, 1 World Trade Center comes in just ahead of Chicago’s Willis Tower, which stands at 1,451 feet. The difference between a spire and an antennae is that the antennae can be removed, while the spire is part of the overall design, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, notes USA Today.

“My husband's remains were never found, so this is where he is buried. This is his final resting place,” Rose Ellen Dowdell, whose husband died in the south tower, told NBC. “The building is a symbol of a coming back.”

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image: Twitter

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