Everything Is Illuminated is the first novel by the American writer Jonathan Safran Foer , published in 2002 . It was adapted into a film of the same name starring Elijah Wood and Eugene Hütz in 2005.
107-536: Jonathan Safran Foer ( / f ɔːr / ; born February 21, 1977) is an American novelist. He is known for his novels Everything Is Illuminated (2002), Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2005), Here I Am (2016), and for his non-fiction works Eating Animals (2009) and We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast (2019). He teaches creative writing at New York University . Safran Foer
214-807: A 1970 account was supposed to accommodate 130,000 people. On a typical weekday, an estimated 50,000 people worked in the complex and another 140,000 passed through as visitors. The World Trade Center was so large that it had its own zip code: 10048 . The towers offered expansive views from the observation deck atop the South Tower and the Windows on the World restaurant on top of the North Tower. The Twin Towers became known worldwide, appearing in numerous movies and television shows as well as on postcards and other merchandise. It became
321-463: A 362 foot (110 m) telecommunications antenna or mast that was built on the roof in 1979 (upgraded in 1999 to accommodate DTV broadcasts). With this addition, the highest point of the North Tower reached 1,730 feet (530 m). Chicago's Willis Tower , then called Sears Tower which was finished in May 1973 , reached 1,450 feet (440 m) at the rooftop. When completed in 1973, the South Tower became
428-619: A 40-page-long senior thesis, titled "Before Reading The Book of Anticedents: Intention, Literary Interpretation, and the Hypothesized Author", under the supervision of Gideon Rosen . Oates served as the advisor to Safran Foer's creative writing senior thesis, an examination of the life of his maternal grandfather, the Holocaust survivor Louis Safran. For his thesis, Safran Foer received Princeton's Senior Creative Writing Thesis Prize. After graduating from Princeton, Safran Foer briefly attended
535-755: A New York icon, in the same league as the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and the Statue of Liberty . The World Trade Center was compared to Rockefeller Center , which David Rockefeller's brother Nelson Rockefeller had developed in midtown Manhattan. One World Trade Center and Two World Trade Center, commonly referred to as the Twin Towers , were designed by architect Minoru Yamasaki as framed tube structures, which provided tenants with open floor plans, uninterrupted by columns or walls. They were
642-567: A board member for Farm Forward , a nonprofit organization that implements innovative strategies to promote conscientious food choices, reduce farmed animal suffering, and advance sustainable agriculture. Safran Foer has been an outspoken critic of the meat industry . In 2006, he recorded the narration for the documentary If This is Kosher... , an exposé of the kosher certification process that advocates Jewish vegetarianism . Safran Foer's first book of non-fiction, Eating Animals (2009), addresses problems associated with industrialized meat and
749-488: A business writer, it also was the origin of the electronic component distribution business. The idea of establishing a World Trade Center in New York City was first proposed in 1943. The New York State Legislature passed a bill authorizing New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey to begin developing plans for the project, but the plans were put on hold in 1949. During the late 1940s and 1950s, economic growth in New York City
856-505: A height of 1,377 ft (420 m). On a clear day, visitors could see up to 50 miles (80 km). An anti-suicide fence was placed on the roof itself, with the viewing platform set back and elevated above it, requiring only an ordinary railing. This left the view unobstructed, unlike the observation deck of the Empire State Building. Windows on the World, the restaurant on the North Tower's 106th and 107th floors, opened in April 1976 . It
963-541: A novel, Everything Is Illuminated , which was published by Houghton Mifflin in 2002 . The book earned him a National Jewish Book Award (2001) and a Guardian First Book Award (2002). Safran Foer shared the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize with fellow authors Will Heinrich and Monique Truong in 2004. In 2005, Liev Schreiber wrote and directed a film adaptation of the novel, which starred Elijah Wood . Safran Foer's second novel Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close ,
1070-552: A program sponsored by Bronfman youth fellowships . In 1995, while a freshman at Princeton University , he took an introductory writing course with author Joyce Carol Oates , who took an interest in his writing, telling him that he had "that most important of writerly qualities, energy." Safran Foer later recalled that "she was the first person to ever make me think I should try to write in any sort of serious way. And my life really changed after that." Safran Foer graduated with an A.B. in philosophy from Princeton in 1999 after completing
1177-620: A real exclusively Jewish shtetl in Poland before the Holocaust where the author's grandfather was born. The second narrative encompasses Foer's trip to Ukraine in search of the remnants and memories of Trachimbrod as well as the author's writing-in-progress. The real town of Trochenbrod was an exclusively Jewish shtetl located in Western Ukraine . After the German attack on the Soviet Union in
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#17328914295781284-442: A significant focus on "storytelling"―the title of both the first and the last chapters of the book. Storytelling is Safran Foer's way of recognizing and dealing with the complexity of the subject that is eating animals, and suggests that, ultimately, our food choices tell stories about who we are, or, as Safran Foer has it in his book, "stories about food are stories about us―our history and our values." In May 2012, Safran Foer signed
1391-411: A square plan approximately 208 feet (63 m) in dimension on each side. The buildings were designed with narrow office windows 18 inches (46 cm) wide, which reflected Yamasaki's fear of heights as well as his desire to make building occupants feel secure. His design included building facades clad in aluminum-alloy. The World Trade Center was one of the most striking American implementations of
1498-410: A strong, rigid wall structure, supporting virtually all lateral loads such as wind loads, and sharing the gravity load with the core columns. The perimeter structure containing 59 columns per side was constructed with extensive use of prefabricated modular pieces, each consisting of three columns, three stories tall, connected by spandrel plates. The spandrel plates were welded to the columns to create
1605-495: A two-book deal with Little, Brown . His novel, Escape From Children's Hospital , was due for publication in 2014, but is no longer on the publisher's schedule. In September 2016, he released the novel Here I Am . In 2019, as part of the book tour for We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast , Safran Foer took part in an on stage conversation with Samin Nosrat about eating and climate change. Safran Foer serves as
1712-409: A utility shaft that ran vertically between floors. Areas at the furthest extent of the fire were extinguished almost immediately; the original fire was put out in a few hours. Most of the damage was concentrated on the 11th floor, fueled by cabinets filled with paper, alcohol-based fluid for office machines, and other office equipment. Fireproofing protected the steel and there was no structural damage to
1819-467: A young American Jew, who is vegetarian and an avid collector of his family's heritage, journeys to Ukraine in search of Augustine, the woman who saved his grandfather's life during the Nazi liquidation of Trachimbrod , his family shtetl (a small town) in occupied eastern Poland . Armed with maps, cigarettes and many copies of an old photograph of Augustine and his grandfather, Jonathan begins his search with
1926-520: Is closer to the site's eastern border. It was on this shoreline, close to the intersection of Greenwich and the former Dey Street , that Dutch explorer Adriaen Block 's ship, Tyger , burned to the waterline in November 1613, stranding him and his crew and forcing them to overwinter on the island. They built the first European settlement in Manhattan . The remains of the ship were buried under landfill when
2033-452: Is the founder of Atlas Obscura and of Sefaria . Safran Foer was a "flamboyant" and sensitive child who, at the age of 8, was injured in a classroom chemical accident that resulted in "something like a nervous breakdown drawn out over about three years," during which "he wanted nothing, except to be outside his own skin." Safran Foer attended Georgetown Day School and in 1994 traveled to Israel with other North American Jewish teenagers in
2140-505: The 1993 World Trade Center Bombing Memorial fountain. The plaza was pervaded by Muzak background music that came from installed loudspeakers. For many years, the Plaza was often beset by brisk winds at ground level owing to the Venturi effect between the two towers. Some gusts were so strong that pedestrians' travel had to be aided by ropes. In 1997 Tony May opened an Italian restaurant in
2247-628: The New York Press , "Foer is supposed to be our new Philip Roth , though his fortune-cookie syllogisms and pointless illustrations and typographical tricks don't at all match up to or much resemble Roth even at his most inane." In response to charges of historical inaccuracy in Everything is Illuminated, Safran Foer defended himself in The Guardian , writing, "Rather than aligning itself with either 'how things were' or 'how things could have been',
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#17328914295782354-639: The Mount Sinai School of Medicine before dropping out to pursue his writing career. Safran Foer graduated from Princeton in 1999 with a degree in philosophy , and traveled to Ukraine to expand his thesis. In 2001, he edited the anthology A Convergence of Birds: Original Fiction and Poetry Inspired by the Work of Joseph Cornell , to which he contributed the short story, "If the Aging Magician Should Begin to Believe". His Princeton thesis grew into
2461-545: The Petronas Towers opened. Other buildings in the complex included the Marriott World Trade Center (3 WTC), 4 WTC , 5 WTC , 6 WTC , and 7 WTC . The complex contained 13,400,000 square feet (1,240,000 m ) of office space and, prior to its completion, was projected to accommodate an estimated 130,000 people. The core complex cost about $ 400 million (equivalent to $ 2.31 billion in 2023). The idea
2568-551: The World Trade Center site took eight months, during which the remains of the other buildings were demolished. On May 30, 2002, the last piece of WTC steel was ceremonially removed. A new World Trade Center complex is being built with six new skyscrapers and several other buildings, many of which are complete. A memorial and museum to those killed in the attacks, a new rapid transit hub , and an elevated park have opened. The memorial features two square reflecting pools in
2675-468: The framed-tube structural system used in the twin towers. The Port Authority's Engineering Department served as foundation engineers , Joseph R. Loring & Associates as electrical engineers , and Jaros, Baum & Bolles (JB&B) as mechanical engineers . Tishman Realty & Construction Company was the general contractor on the World Trade Center project. Guy F. Tozzoli , director of
2782-512: The shoreline was extended beginning in 1797 and was discovered during excavation work in 1916. The remains of a second eighteenth-century ship were discovered in 2010 during excavation work at the site. The ship, believed to be a Hudson River sloop , was found just south of where the Twin Towers stood, about 20 feet (6.1 m) below the surface. Later, the area became New York City's Radio Row , which existed from 1921 to 1966. The neighborhood
2889-477: The 107th floor to the top of the buildings were designed to support a tall communication antenna on top of each building. Only 1 WTC (North Tower) actually had a spire antenna fitted, which was added in May 1979. The truss system consisted of six trusses along the long axis of the core and four along the short axis. This truss system allowed some load redistribution between the perimeter and core columns and supported
2996-537: The 1941, a Nazi ghetto was established at Trochenbrod for local residents including those from nearby villages. The ghetto was exterminated during the Holocaust. In August and September 1942, nearly all Jews of Trochenbrod were murdered by the German security troops with assistance from the Ukrainian Auxiliary Police who rounded up Jews. An estimated 3,000 to 4,000 Jews were murdered, including those from nearby Lozisht . Jonathan Safran Foer (the author),
3103-432: The 1960s by Bangladeshi-American structural engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan , was a new approach that allowed more open floor plans than the traditional design that distributed columns throughout the interior to support building loads. Each of the World Trade Center towers had 236 high-strength, load-bearing perimeter steel columns which acted as Vierendeel trusses . The perimeter columns were spaced closely together to form
3210-568: The Greatest Bar on Earth and Cellar in the Sky (reopened after Labor Day ) replaced the original restaurant offshoots. In 1999, Cellar in the Sky was changed into an American steakhouse and renamed as Wild Blue. In 2000 (its last full year of operation), Windows on the World reported revenues of $ 37 million, making it the highest-grossing restaurant in the United States. The Skydive Restaurant, which
3317-646: The Hudson River. In a December 1961 meeting between Port Authority director Austin J. Tobin and newly elected New Jersey Governor Richard J. Hughes , the Port Authority offered to take over the H&;M Railroad. They also decided to move the World Trade Center project to the Hudson Terminal building site on the west side of Lower Manhattan, a more convenient location for New Jersey commuters arriving via PATH . With
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3424-475: The North Tower within Tobin Plaza for musicians and performers. These series of concerts and events were called "CenterStage at the World Trade Center". At the center of the plaza stood the monumental sculpture The Sphere by German artist Fritz Koenig . The world's largest bronze sculpture of modern times was surrounded by a fountain. The site had other sculptures such as Ideogram , Cloud Fortress , and
3531-447: The Port Authority leased operation of the observatory to Ogden Entertainment, which decided to renovate it. On April 30, 1997, the Top of the World tour reopened after renovations were finished. Attractions added to the observation deck included 24 video monitors, which provided descriptions of 44 points of interest in six languages; a theater showing a film of a simulated helicopter tour around
3638-512: The Port Authority's approved plans to privatize the World Trade Center in the late 1990s, they sought to lease it to a private entity in 2001. Bids for the lease came from Vornado Realty Trust ; a joint bid between Brookfield Properties Corporation and Boston Properties ; and a joint bid by Silverstein Properties and the Westfield Group . Privatizing the World Trade Center would add it to
3745-409: The Port Authority's chief engineer, John M. Kyle Jr., involved digging a trench, and as excavation proceeded, filling the space with a slurry consisting of a mixture of bentonite and water, which plugged holes and kept groundwater out. When the trench was dug out, a steel cage was inserted and concrete was poured in, forcing the slurry out. It took fourteen months for the slurry wall to be completed. It
3852-475: The September 11 attacks, mentions of the complex in various media were altered or deleted , and several dozen "memorial films" were created. The World Trade Center experienced several major crime and terrorist incidents, including a fire on February 13 , 1975; a bombing on February 26 , 1993; and a bank robbery on January 14 , 1998. These events preceded the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. During
3959-560: The Twin Towers, the plan for the World Trade Center complex included four other low-rise buildings, which were built in the early 1970s. The 47-story 7 World Trade Center building was added in the 1980s, to the north of the main complex. Altogether, the main World Trade Center complex occupied a 16-acre (65,000 m ) superblock . The World Trade Center complex housed more than 430 companies that were engaged in various commercial activities. The complex hosted 13,400,000 square feet (1,240,000 m ) of office space, which according to
4066-401: The World Trade Center towers could be subjected to and structural response to those forces. Experiments also were done to evaluate how much sway occupants could comfortably tolerate; however, many subjects experienced dizziness and other ill effects. One of the chief engineers Leslie Robertson worked with Canadian engineer Alan G. Davenport to develop viscoelastic dampers to absorb some of
4173-564: The World Trade Department at the Port Authority, and Rino M. Monti, the Port Authority's Chief Engineer, oversaw the project. As an interstate agency, the Port Authority was not subject to the local laws and regulations of the City of New York, including building codes . Nonetheless, the World Trade Center's structural engineers ended up following draft versions of New York City's new 1968 building codes. The framed-tube design, introduced in
4280-582: The age of 10. In June 2004, Safran Foer married writer Nicole Krauss . They lived in Park Slope in Brooklyn , New York , and have two children. The couple divorced in 2014. From 2015 until 2017, Safran Foer dated actress Michelle Williams . Because of Safran Foer's frequent use of modernist literary devices, he is often named as a polarizing figure in modern literature. In his critical article "Extremely Cloying & Incredibly False", Harry Siegel wrote in
4387-467: The architectural ethic of Le Corbusier and was the seminal expression of Yamasaki's gothic modernist tendencies. He was also inspired by Islamic architecture , elements of which he incorporated in the building's design, having previously designed Saudi Arabia's Dhahran International Airport with the Saudi Binladin Group . A major limiting factor in building height is the issue of elevators;
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4494-619: The area for the World Trade Center by March 1965, and demolition of Radio Row began in March 1966. It was completely demolished by the end of the year. Approval was also needed from New York City Mayor John Lindsay and the New York City Council . Disagreements with the city centered on tax issues, and the New York City Planning Commission wanted the Port Authority to increase its payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) to
4601-460: The attacks, al-Qaeda -affiliated hijackers flew two Boeing 767 jets, one into each of the Twin Towers, seventeen minutes apart; between 16,400 and 18,000 people were in the Twin Towers when they were struck. The fires from the impacts were intensified by the planes' burning jet fuel, which, along with the initial damage to the buildings' structural columns, ultimately caused both towers to collapse . The attacks killed 2,606 people in and around
4708-440: The attacks, some from smoke inhalation. Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman and four other individuals were later convicted for their involvement in the bombing, while Yousef and Eyad Ismoil were convicted for carrying out the bombing. According to a presiding judge, the conspirators' chief aim at the time of the attack was to destabilize the North Tower and send it crashing into the South Tower, toppling both skyscrapers. Following
4815-605: The bathtub began in late 1967. Construction work began on the North Tower in August 1968 , and construction on the South Tower was under way by January 1969 . The original Hudson Tubes , which carried PATH trains into Hudson Terminal, remained in service during the construction process until 1971, when a new station opened. The topping out ceremony of 1 WTC (North Tower) took place on December 23 , 1970, while 2 WTC's ceremony (South Tower) occurred on July 19 , 1971. Extensive use of prefabricated components helped to speed up
4922-409: The bombing, floors that were blown out needed to be repaired to restore the structural support they provided to columns. The slurry wall was in peril following the bombing and the loss of the floor slabs that provided lateral support against pressure from Hudson River water on the other side. The refrigeration plant on sublevel B5, which provided air conditioning to the entire World Trade Center complex,
5029-420: The book is the story that Jonathan Safran Foer (the character) learns about his ancestors—namely, his great-times-five-or-six grandmother Brod and his grandfather Safran. Brod has a magical, maybe-virgin birth, when she, as a baby, bobs to the surface after her father dies in a wagon accident in the river Brod, for which the baby is later named. A man named Yankel raises her until he dies. Upon its initial release
5136-528: The book received "positive" reviews based on ten critic reviews, with five being "rave" and four being "positive" and one being "mixed". World Trade Center (1973%E2%80%932001) The original World Trade Center ( WTC ) was a complex of seven buildings in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City . Built primarily between 1966 and 1975, it was dedicated on April 4, 1973, and
5243-655: The book received enthusiastic reviews, particularly in The Times , which stated that Foer had "staked his claim for literary greatness.". The Daily Telegraph reported on reviews from several publications with a rating scale for the novel out of "Love It", "Pretty Good", "Ok", and "Rubbish": Daily Telegraph , Guardian , and Times reviews under "Love It" and Observer review under "Pretty Good" and Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Times reviews under "Ok" and Independent On Sunday review under "Rubbish". According to Book Marks , based on mostly American publications,
5350-544: The buildings would each have to be 110 stories tall. The Port Authority publicly presented a model for the complex on January 18, 1964. The original plans called for two towers rising 1,350 feet (410 m), as well as several six-story buildings surrounding a central plaza (later the Austin J. Tobin Plaza ). These buildings were to include office space, restaurants, a hotel, exhibition space, stores, and an information center about world trade. The agency released its final model of
5457-527: The center marking where the Twin Towers stood. One World Trade Center , the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere at 1,776 feet (541 m) and the lead building for the new complex, completed construction in May 2013 and opened in November 2014. The western portion of the World Trade Center site was originally under the Hudson River . The shoreline was in the vicinity of Greenwich Street , which
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#17328914295785564-427: The city called "Manhattan Magic"; a model of Manhattan with 750 buildings; a Kodak photo booth and two gift shops. The 107th-floor also featured a subway -themed food court that featured Sbarro Street Station and Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs with a dining area that simulated Central Park . Weather permitting, visitors could ride two short escalators up from the 107th-floor viewing area to an outdoor platform at
5671-511: The city government. On August 3 , 1966, an agreement was reached whereby the Port Authority would make annual PILOTs for the portion of the World Trade Center leased to private tenants. In subsequent years, the payments would rise as the real estate tax rate increased. In May 1967, the New York City Planning Commission approved several changes to the street grid that would allow the Port Authority to begin acquiring land for
5778-402: The city's tax rolls and provide funds for other Port Authority projects. On February 15 , 2001, the Port Authority announced that Vornado Realty Trust had won the World Trade Center lease, paying $ 3.25 billion for the 99-year lease. Vornado outbid Silverstein by $ 600 million though Silverstein upped his offer to $ 3.22 billion. However, Vornado insisted on last minute changes to
5885-510: The completion of the Sears Tower in 1973. They were not surpassed until the construction of the Burj Khalifa , which opened in 2010. The towers were also the world's tallest twin towers until 1996, when the Petronas Towers opened. Each tower had a total mass of around 500,000 tons. The original World Trade Center had a five-acre (two-hectare) plaza around which all of the buildings in
5992-407: The complex in March 1966. Despite public criticism over the height of the 110-story twin towers, Yamasaki & Associates and Emery Roth & Sons made only relatively minor changes to the plans, which were released in May 1966. The revised plans called for the twin towers and four additional low-rise structures to surround the central plaza. Yamasaki's design for the World Trade Center called for
6099-404: The complex, including the twin towers, were centered. World Trade Center officials had wanted the plaza to be a "contemplative space" or a Zen garden . In 1982, the plaza was renamed after Port Authority's late chairman, Austin J. Tobin, who authorized the construction of the original World Trade Center. During the summer, the Port Authority installed a portable stage, typically backed up against
6206-401: The complex. On September 20 , 1962, the Port Authority announced the selection of Minoru Yamasaki as lead architect and Emery Roth & Sons as associate architects. Yamasaki devised the plan to incorporate twin towers. His original plan called for the towers to be 80 stories tall, but to meet the Port Authority's requirement for 10,000,000 square feet (930,000 m ) of office space,
6313-461: The construction of the World Trade Center took place on August 5 , 1966. The site of the World Trade Center was located on filled land with the bedrock located 65 feet (20 m) below. To construct the World Trade Center, it was necessary to build a " bathtub " with a slurry wall around the West Street side of the site, to keep water from the Hudson River out. The slurry method selected by
6420-513: The construction process, and the first tenants moved into the North Tower on December 15, 1970 , while it was still under construction, while the South Tower began accepting tenants in January 1972 . The complex had 111 tenants with a combined 1,800 employees by late 1971. When the Twin Towers were completed, the total costs to the Port Authority had reached $ 900 million. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on April 4 , 1973. In addition to
6527-462: The course. Windows on the World was forced to close following the 1993 World Trade Center bombing as the explosion damaged receiving areas, storage and parking spots used by the restaurant complex. On May 12, 1994, the Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman Company won the contract to run the restaurants after Windows's former operator, Inhilco , gave up its lease. After its reopening on June 26, 1996,
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#17328914295786634-443: The deal, including a shorter 39-year lease, which the Port Authority considered nonnegotiable. Vornado later withdrew and Silverstein's bid for the lease to the World Trade Center was accepted on April 26 , 2001, and closed on July 24 , 2001. On September 11, 2001 , Islamist terrorists hijacked two commercial airliners and crashed them into the Twin Towers. One group led by Mohamed Atta crashed American Airlines Flight 11 into
6741-501: The design to stack local elevators within the same elevator shaft. Located on the 44th and 78th floors of each tower, the sky lobbies enabled the elevators to be used efficiently. This increased the amount of usable space on each floor from 62 to 75 percent by reducing the number of elevator shafts. Altogether, the World Trade Center had 95 express and local elevators. The structural engineering firm Worthington, Skilling, Helle & Jackson worked to implement Yamasaki's design, developing
6848-556: The ensuing ethical concerns . He said that he had long been "uncertain about how I felt [about eating meat]" and that the birth of his first child inspired "an urgency because I would have to make decisions on his behalf". In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic , Safran Foer reiterated his argument that Americans should eat less meat on account of the meat industry's social, environmental, and humanitarian consequences. In his personal life, Safran Foer has been an occasional vegetarian since
6955-523: The fire and was criminally charged. The first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center occurred on February 26, 1993, at 12:17 p.m. A Ryder truck filled with 1,500 pounds (680 kg) of explosives (planted by Ramzi Yousef ) detonated in the North Tower's underground garage. The blast opened a 100 ft (30 m) hole through five sublevels, with the greatest damage occurring on levels B1 and B2 and significant structural damage on level B3. Six people were killed and 1,042 others were injured in
7062-497: The floors. The trusses connected to the perimeter at alternate columns and were on 6 foot 8 inch (2.03 m) centers. The top chords of the trusses were bolted to seats welded to the spandrels on the exterior side and a channel welded to the core columns on the interior side. The floors were connected to the perimeter spandrel plates with viscoelastic dampers that helped reduce the amount of sway felt by building occupants. Hat trusses (or "outrigger trusses") located from
7169-457: The governors of both New York and New Jersey . New Jersey Governor Robert B. Meyner objected to New York getting a $ 335 million project. Toward the end of 1961, negotiations with outgoing New Jersey Governor Meyner reached a stalemate. At the time, ridership on New Jersey's H&M Railroad had declined substantially—from a high of 113 million riders in 1927, to 26 million in 1958—after new automobile tunnels and bridges had opened across
7276-494: The help from Ukrainian native and soon-to-be good friend, Alexander "Alex" Perchov, who is Foer's age and very fond of American pop culture, albeit culture that is already out of date in the United States. Alexander studied English at his university, and even though his knowledge of the language is not "first-rate", he becomes Foer's translator. Alex's "blind" grandfather and his "deranged seeing-eye bitch ," Sammy Davis, Jr., Jr., accompany them on their journey. Interspersed throughout
7383-619: The lease to Silverstein Properties in July 2001 . During its existence, the World Trade Center symbolized globalization and the economic prosperity of the U.S. Although its design was initially criticized by New Yorkers and architectural critics, the Twin Towers became an icon of New York City. It had a major role in popular culture , and according to one estimate was depicted in 472 films. The Twin Towers were also used in Philippe Petit 's tightrope-walking performance on August 7, 1974. Following
7490-400: The main buildings of the World Trade Center. Construction of the North Tower at One World Trade Center began in 1966 with the South Tower at Two World Trade Center. When completed in 1972, 1 World Trade Center became the tallest building in the world for two years, surpassing the Empire State Building after its 40-year reign. The North Tower stood 1,368 feet (417 m) tall and featured
7597-429: The modular pieces off-site at the fabrication shop. Adjacent modules were bolted together with the splices occurring at mid-span of the columns and spandrels. The spandrel plates were located at each floor, transmitting shear stress between columns, allowing them to work together in resisting lateral loads. The joints between modules were staggered vertically so that the column splices between adjacent modules were not on
7704-461: The morning of August 7, 1974, Philippe Petit performed a high-wire walk between the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center. For his unauthorized feat 1,312 feet (400 m) above the ground, he rigged a 440-pound (200 kg) cable and used a custom-made 30-foot-long (9.1 m), 55-pound (25 kg) balancing pole. He performed for 45 minutes, making eight passes along the wire. Though Petit
7811-494: The new location and the Port Authority's acquisition of the H&M Railroad, New Jersey agreed to support the World Trade Center project. As part of the deal, the Port Authority renamed the H&M "Port Authority Trans-Hudson", or PATH for short. To compensate Radio Row business owners for their displacement, the Port Authority gave each business $ 3,000 without regard to how long the business had been there or how prosperous it was. The Port Authority began purchasing properties in
7918-475: The north of the superblock. Beneath the World Trade Center complex was an underground shopping mall . It had connections to various mass transit facilities, including the New York City Subway system and the Port Authority's PATH trains. One of the world's largest gold depositories was located underneath the World Trade Center, owned by a group of commercial banks. The 1993 bombing detonated close to
8025-690: The novel into a film , produced by Scott Rudin and directed by Stephen Daldry . Safran Foer wrote the libretto for an opera titled Seven Attempted Escapes From Silence , which premiered at the Berlin State Opera on September 14, 2005. In 2008, Safran Foer taught writing for the first time as a visiting professor of fiction at Yale University . As of 2021, he teaches in the graduate creative writing program at New York University . Safran Foer published his third novel, Tree of Codes , in November 2010. In March 2012, The New American Haggadah , edited by Safran Foer and translated by Nathan Englander ,
8132-444: The novel measures the difference between the two, and by so doing attempts to reflect a kind of experiential (rather than historical or journalistic) truth." Everything Is Illuminated The book's writing and structure received critical acclaim for the manner in which it switches between two stories, both of which are autobiographical. One of them is the fictionalized history of the eradicated town of Trochenbrod (Trachimbrod),
8239-431: The plaza next to 4 World Trade Center called "Gemelli". The following year, he opened another restaurant in an adjacent place called "Pasta Break". On June 9, 1999, the outdoor plaza reopened after undergoing $ 12 million in renovations. This involved replacing marble pavers with over 40,000 gray and pink granite stones, as well as adding benches, planters, food kiosks, and outdoor dining areas. Although most of
8346-528: The plaza. 6 World Trade Center , at the northwest corner, housed the United States Customs Service . 5 World Trade Center was located at the northeast corner above the PATH station, and 4 World Trade Center , located at the southeast corner, housed the U.S. Commodities Exchange . In 1987, construction was completed on a 47-floor office building, 7 World Trade Center , located to
8453-408: The restaurant two out of four stars, signifying a "very good" quality. In his 2009 book Appetite , William Grimes wrote that, "At Windows, New York was the main course". In 2014, Ryan Sutton of Eater.com compared the now-destroyed restaurant's cuisine to that of its replacement, One World Observatory . He said, "Windows helped usher in a new era of captive audience dining in that the restaurant
8560-400: The same floor. Below the 7th floor to the foundation, there were fewer, wider-spaced perimeter columns to accommodate doorways. The core of the towers housed the elevator and utility shafts, restrooms, three stairwells, and other support spaces. The core of each tower was a rectangular area 87 by 135 feet (27 by 41 m) and contained 47 steel columns running from the bedrock to the top of
8667-404: The second floor, visitors were required to pass through security checks added after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing . They were then sent to the 107th-floor indoor observatory at a height of 1,310 feet (400 m) by a dedicated express elevator, which could be only accessed by entering the core. The exterior columns were narrowed to allow 28 inches of window width between them. In 1995,
8774-400: The second tallest building in the world at 1,362 feet (415 m). Its rooftop observation deck was 1,362 ft (415 m) high and its indoor observation deck was 1,310 ft (400 m) high. Each tower stood over 1,350 feet (410 m) high, and occupied about 1 acre (4,000 m ) of the total 16 acres (65,000 m ) of the site's land. During a press conference in 1973, Yamasaki
8881-500: The space in the World Trade Center complex was off-limits to the public, the South Tower featured a public glass-enclosed observation deck on the 107th floor called Top of the World and an open-air deck with the height of 110 stories. The observation deck opened in December 1975 and operated from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. (June to August) and from 9:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. (September to May). After paying an entrance fee in
8988-524: The sways. These viscoelastic dampers, used throughout the structures at the joints between floor trusses and perimeter columns along with some other structural modifications, reduced the building sway to an acceptable level. In March 1965, the Port Authority began acquiring property at the World Trade Center site. Demolition work began on March 21 , 1966, to clear thirteen square blocks of low rise buildings in Radio Row for its construction. Groundbreaking for
9095-434: The taller the building, the more elevators are needed to service it, requiring more space-consuming elevator banks. Yamasaki and the engineers decided to use a new system with two " sky lobbies "—floors where people could switch from a large-capacity express elevator to a local elevator that goes to each floor in a section. This system, inspired by the local-express train operation used in New York City's subway system, allowed
9202-438: The tower. In addition to fire damage on the 9th through the 14th floors, the water used to extinguish the fire damaged a few of the floors below. At that time, the World Trade Center had no fire sprinkler systems . On March 12, 1981, the Port Authority announced a $ 45 million plan to install sprinklers throughout the World Trade Center. A disgruntled custodian, 19 year old Oswald Adorno, was discovered to have deliberately started
9309-454: The tower. The large, column-free space between the perimeter and core was bridged by prefabricated floor trusses. The floors supported their own weight as well as live loads , providing lateral stability to the exterior walls and distributing wind loads among the exterior walls. The floors consisted of 4-inch (10 cm) thick lightweight concrete slabs laid on a fluted steel deck. A grid of lightweight bridging trusses and main trusses supported
9416-463: The towers, as well as all 157 on board the two aircraft. Falling debris from the towers, combined with fires in several surrounding buildings that were initiated by falling debris, led to the partial or complete collapse of all the WTC complex's buildings, including 7 World Trade Center , and caused catastrophic damage to 10 other large structures in the surrounding area. The cleanup and recovery process at
9523-540: The transmission tower. The framed-tube design, using steel core and perimeter columns protected with sprayed-on fire-resistant material, created a relatively lightweight structure that would sway more in response to the wind compared to traditional structures, such as the Empire State Building that has thick, heavy masonry for fireproofing of steel structural elements. During the design process, wind tunnel tests were done to establish design wind pressures that
9630-454: The vault. Seven weeks after the September 11 attacks, $ 230 million in precious metals was removed from basement vaults of 4 WTC. This included 3,800 100-Troy-ounce 24 carat gold bars and 30,000 1,000-ounce silver bars. On February 13, 1975, a three-alarm fire broke out on the North Tower's 11th floor. It spread to the 9th and 14th floors after igniting telephone cable insulation in
9737-577: The world's first world trade center . They had two choices: the east side of Lower Manhattan , near the South Street Seaport ; or the west side, near the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad (H&M) station, Hudson Terminal . Initial plans, made public in 1961, identified a site along the East River for the World Trade Center. As a bi-state agency, the Port Authority required approval for new projects from
9844-519: Was destroyed during the September 11 attacks in 2001. At the time of their completion, the 110-story-tall Twin Towers , including the original 1 World Trade Center (the North Tower) at 1,368 feet (417 m), and 2 World Trade Center (the South Tower) at 1,362 feet (415.1 m), were the tallest buildings in the world ; they were also the tallest twin skyscrapers in the world until 1996, when
9951-451: Was a warehouse district in what is now Tribeca and the Financial District . Harry Schneck opened City Radio on Cortlandt Street in 1921, and eventually, the area held several blocks of electronics stores, with Cortlandt Street as its central axis. The used radios, war surplus electronics (e.g., AN/ARC-5 radios), junk, and parts were often piled so high they would spill out onto the street, attracting collectors and scroungers. According to
10058-452: Was a 180-seat cafeteria on the 44th floor of 1 WTC conceived for office workers, was also operated by Windows on the World. In its last iteration, Windows on the World received mixed reviews. Ruth Reichl , a New York Times food critic, said in December 1996 that "nobody will ever go to Windows on the World just to eat, but even the fussiest food person can now be content dining at one of New York's favorite tourist destinations". She gave
10165-527: Was a destination in itself, rather than a lazy by-product of the vital institution it resided in." Five smaller buildings stood on the 16-acre (65,000 m ) block. One was the 22-floor hotel, which opened at the southwest corner of the site in 1981 as the Vista Hotel ; in 1995, it became the Marriott World Trade Center (3 WTC). Three low-rise buildings (4 WTC, 5 WTC, and 6 WTC), which were steel-framed office buildings, also stood around
10272-438: Was asked, "Why two 110-story buildings? Why not one 220-story building?" His tongue-in-cheek response was: "I didn't want to lose the human scale." Architectural critic Ada Louise Huxtable criticized the design of the twin towers when they were first announced, saying: "Here we have the world's daintiest architecture for the world's biggest buildings." The twin towers had more floors (at 110) than any other building before
10379-594: Was born in Washington, D.C. , as the son of Albert Foer, a lawyer and president of the American Antitrust Institute , and Esther Safran Foer , a child of Holocaust survivors born in Poland, who is now Senior Advisor at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue . Safran Foer is the middle son of a Jewish family. His older brother, Franklin , is a former editor of The New Republic and his younger brother, Joshua ,
10486-544: Was charged with criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, he was later freed in exchange for performing for children in Central Park . On February 20, 1981, an Aerolíneas Argentinas airliner was guided away by air traffic controllers after radar signals indicated it was on a collision course with the North Tower (1 WTC). The aircraft, which departed from José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil , Ecuador, and
10593-578: Was concentrated in Midtown Manhattan . To help stimulate urban renewal in Lower Manhattan, David Rockefeller suggested that the Port Authority build a World Trade Center there. Plans for the use of eminent domain to remove the shops in Radio Row bounded by Vesey , Church , Liberty , and West Streets began in 1961 when the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was deciding to build
10700-515: Was developed by restaurateur Joe Baum at a cost of more than $ 17 million. As well as the main restaurant, two offshoots were located at the top of the North Tower: Hors d'Oeuvrerie (offered a Danish smorgasbord during the day and sushi in the evening) and Cellar in the Sky (a small wine bar ). Windows on the World also had a wine school program run by Kevin Zraly , who published a book on
10807-407: Was heavily damaged. After the bombing, the Port Authority installed photoluminescent pathway markings in the stairwells. The fire alarm system for the entire complex needed to be replaced because critical wiring and signaling in the original system were destroyed. A memorial to the victims of the bombing, a reflecting pool , was installed with the names of those who were killed in the blast. It
10914-484: Was later destroyed following the September 11 attacks. The names of the victims of the 1993 bombing are included in the National September 11 Memorial & Museum . In January 1998, a DeCavalcante crime family member Ralph Guarino gained maintenance access to the World Trade Center. He arranged a three-man crew for a heist that netted over $ 2 million from a Brinks delivery to the North Tower's 11th floor. On
11021-519: Was necessary before the excavation of material from the interior of the site could begin. The 1,200,000 cubic yards (920,000 m ) of excavated material were used (along with other fill and dredge material) to expand the Manhattan shoreline across West Street to form Battery Park City . The Port Authority awarded $ 74 million in contracts to various steel suppliers in January 1967, and excavation of
11128-533: Was published in 2005 . In it, Safran Foer used 9/11 as a backdrop for the story of 9-year-old Oskar Schell, who learns how to deal with the death of his father in the World Trade Center . The novel used writing techniques known as visual writing. It follows multiple but interconnected storylines, is peppered with photographs of doorknobs and other such oddities, and ends with a 14-page flipbook. Safran Foer's use of these techniques resulted in both praise and excoriation from critics. Warner Bros. and Paramount turned
11235-526: Was released to mixed reviews. In 2009, Safran Foer published his third book, Eating Animals . A New York Times bestseller, Eating Animals provides a morally dense discussion of some of the ramifications that followed the proliferation of factory farms. It attempts to explain why and how humans can be so loving to our companion animals while simultaneously being indifferent to others, and explores what this inconsistency tells us about ourselves―what kinds of stories emerge from this selectivity. The book offers
11342-508: Was scheduled to land at nearby JFK Airport , was flying at a much lower altitude than regulations recommended. The 1995 PCA world chess championship was played on the 107th floor of the South Tower. On February 8, 2000, a worker was crushed to death and another was injured by an industrial cooling unit. Slow leasing was a hallmark of the old World Trade Center complex. The Twin Towers suffered high vacancy rates for decades. The complex achieved 95% occupancy only in mid-2001. Following
11449-400: Was suggested by David Rockefeller to help stimulate urban renewal in Lower Manhattan, and his brother Nelson , then New York's 49th governor, signed the legislation to build it. The buildings at the complex were designed by Minoru Yamasaki . In 1998, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey decided to privatize it by leasing the buildings to a private company to manage. It awarded
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