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One World Observatory Opens To The Public: Visitors Describe ‘Spectacular’ Views And ‘Very Emotional’ Experience

By Ven Lanyon
Published on: 10:14 PST, May 29, 2015

The One World Observatory deck is now open to the public. On the 100th level of the new tower, the observatory deck will let visitors enjoy views over Manhattan stretching up to 50 miles away, past the Statue of Liberty, and all the way to the Atlantic ocean. The deck is part of the One World Observatory on floors 100, 101 and 102, which opened Friday, May 29, in a ribbon cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. Eastern time.

The One World Observatory, at 1,200 feet, offers spectacular views for the first time since 9/11, when the original WTC was destroyed. In remembrance of that day, all those who lost loved ones in the attack, and those who worked in the rescue and recovery will not have to pay the $32 ticket price.

After a 60 second ride from the ground to 1,200 feet in one of the five skypods, visitors can watch Voices, an emotional video about the people who worked on the new One World Trade Center. Voices follows their journey as they created the new building on the site of the original WTC. The New York Daily News quoted from the video.

“It was the job of a lifetime,” one worker beams.

“A piece of me is in this building,” another says.

“My kids can tell their kids, ‘My daddy did that,'” one tough-looking construction worker adds.

There is also a video installation of a virtual time lapse that “recreates the development of New York City skyline and beyond” from the 1600s right up to the opening of the new One WTC.

The One World Observatory is full of high-tech delights, from the moment tickets are scanned. A giant wall-sized screen in the lobby displays the visitor’s home country or state and some fun fast facts about other visitors that day. The screen shows “how many other visitors have come from that country or state, how many different countries visitors hail from and the most popular country of origin of the day.” There’s even a welcome greeting in each person’s first language.

The enormous floor-to-ceiling glass windows in the observatory might not be for everyone, so the designers included a video substitute for the faint of heart. They created a 14-foot video screen circle in the floor that shows live video from cameras on the roof of the 1,300 foot building. The cameras are aimed straight down the side of the tower. David Checketts, chairman and CEO of Legends, the company that created the One World Observatory explained how the Sky Portal works.

“You can walk on it as if you’re walking on steel beams and looking down. This is to address the people who want to stick their head out of a tall building and look down.”

In addition to the observation deck with its floor to ceiling windows, the One World Observatory offers restaurants on level 101, and event space on level 102. First day visitors found the observatory experience to be “spectacular” and “very emotional.”

David Checketts summed it up beautifully.

“This is about looking forward and moving forward — with courage and resilience.”

[Image via CBS New York]

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