New glass design for One World Trade Center base wins approval

The concrete base of One World Trade Center will be enshrouded by stainless steel panels and glass to reflect light during the day, giving the iconic building a distinct street-level appearance, the Port Authority said Tuesday.

The agency approved the new plan after scrapping another design that would have included prismatic glass panels. CrainsNewYork.com reported that the original design was not feasible and the glass would have broken more easily.

The 20-story base, likened to a bunker, is made of concrete to protect the tower against an attack. The tower will soon eclipse the Empire State Building as New York's tallest.

"The World Trade Center site continues to progress at a historic pace and approving this design is a cost-effective solution to a complex problem," Port Authority Chairman David Samson said in a statement. "It provides a practical way to cover the tower's secure base, and give it an innovative, inviting look for the thousands of workers who will be employed there and the millions of tourists who will visit it."

The cost for the project and the contract is about $37.2 million, Crain's said, less expensive than the original design's anticipated cost of $82 million.