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Thanks to Rupert Murdoch, Norman Foster's 2 World Trade Center might actually happen

Thanks to Rupert Murdoch, Norman Foster's 2 World Trade Center might actually happen

Richard Rogers‘ long-stalled 3 World Trade Center finally climbing again, it’s concrete core rising steadily above its nearly-complete podium. Now, it’s Norman Foster’s turn to bring the last of the World Trade towers to life, and it might happen this time with the help of a media giant.

It’s starting to look like Foster + Partners‘ 2 World Trade Center might actually get built, and it’s all thanks to Rupert Murdoch. The New York Times reported that News Corporation and 21st Century Fox—both owned by the billionaire media mogul—are interested in using half the building (1.5 million square feet) as a joint headquarters.

While there are no firm plans to speak of, the companies have reportedly been in talks for months with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and developer Larry Silverstein, who has rights to build at the site. If the tower is built, it would effectively complete the drawn-out rebuilding of the World Trade Center.

Two World Trade Center was originally scheduled to open in 2011, but, as is the case with just about everything with the World Trade Center redevelopment, that deadline didn’t stick.

The building, as designed by Foster, is widely considered to be the most architecturally adventurous of the glassy World Trade Center bunch. The 79-story structure appears as four rectangular forms, diagonally sliced at the top to form a set of four diamonds. “The building occupies a pivotal position at north-east corner of Memorial Park, and its profile reflects this role as a symbolic marker,” Foster + Partners said in a 2006 statement. “Arranged around a central cruciform core, the shaft is articulated as four interconnected blocks with flexible, column-free office floors that rise to level sixty-four, whereupon the building is cut at angle to address the Memorial below.”

The building’s design was drawn up between 2006–2007 and is expected to change at least slightly if this deal moves forward—which the Times noted is far from certain. But if it does go through, the companies might select their own architect for changes. “Given that the foundation has been built, the two sides are assessing whether the structure can accommodate the changes they want for television studios,” reported the Times.

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