Reconstruction after the Sept 11 attacks included not just rebuilding on the site of the Twin Towers, but replacing the transit hub station there as well. The new vision for the transit hub includes the Oculus, a building designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. A defining feature of the Oculus is a skylight at the peak of its roof, which is opened on clear days, flooding the space below with light and giving patrons a view of the new One World Trade Center building. And every Sept 11, the skylight is left open to the elements for 102 minutes—the duration of the attack on the World Trade Center. The elegant transit station is often busy with travelers making a quick stop to shop or eat, since most of the space is dedicated to retail, as it had been before the attacks on 9/11.
Inside the Oculus
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Hey, don t you guys have somewhere to be?
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A star blows a bubble
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International Day of the Tropics
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Al-Khazneh in Petra, Jordan
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Spring comes to the Palouse
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Kjell Henriksen Observatory
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It’s Napping Day
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Great Backyard Bird Count
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The Canary Islands, Spain
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Where the glow of the holidays lingers
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A Great view from above
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Toledo, Spain
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I m here! Take a look at me!
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Who doesn’t love a ‘Puppy’?
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Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa, Canada
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Old man s whiskers growing wild
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Old Town of Rovinj, Croatia
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Celebrating National Dentist Day
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High tide at the walled city
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Storm rolls over the grasslands
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Atolls in the Maldives
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Happy World Meteorological Day
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Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
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The moon rises for Mid-Autumn Festival
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Daylight saving time
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Spring equinox
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A cozy winter village
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Boxing Day in East Yorkshire, England
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Here there be dragons
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Dressed for winter fun