The World Trade Center is a partially completed complex of buildings under construction in Lower Manhattan, New York City, U.S., replacing an original complex of seven buildings with the same name on the same site that were damaged or destroyed in the September 11 attacks. The site is being rebuilt with six new skyscrapers, a memorial and museum to those killed in the attacks, and a transportation hub. One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the United States, North America and the Western Hemisphere is the lead building for the new complex, reaching more than 100 stories upon its completion in November 2014.
The original World Trade Center featured the landmark Twin Towers, which opened in 1973, and were the tallest buildings in the world at their completion. They were destroyed on the morning of September 11, 2001, when al-Qaeda-affiliated hijackers flew two Boeing 767 jets into the complex in a coordinated act of terrorism. The attacks on the World Trade Center killed 2,753 people. The resulting collapse caused structural failure in many of the surrounding buildings as well. The process of cleaning up and recovery at the World Trade Center site took eight months, after which rebuilding of the site commenced.
After years of delay and controversy, reconstruction at the World Trade Center site started. The new complex includes One World Trade Center, 7 World Trade Center, three other high-rise office buildings, a museum and memorial, and a transportation hub similar in size to Grand Central Terminal. One World Trade Center was completed on August 30, 2012, and the final component of its spire was installed on May 10, 2013. 4 World Trade Center opened on November 12, 2013, making it the first building completed as part of the site's master plan. The 9/11 memorial is complete, and the museum opened on May 21, 2014. The World Trade Center Transportation Hub opened to the public on March 4, 2016, and 3 World Trade Center is under construction set to be finished in 2018. 2 World Trade Center's full construction was placed on hold in 2009, with a new design announced in 2015.