After much debate, One World Trade Center is officially the tallest building in the country, thanks to a decision by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats. The nonprofit's chairman Timothy Johnson said, "We determined the structure above the mass of the building was in fact a spire."
The building, formerly known as Freedom Tower, stands at 1776 feet, thanks to a 408-foot long mast which sure looks like an antenna. And if the council had ruled it an antenna—and not a spire—then Chicago's Willis Tower, at 1729 feet, would have remained the tallest.
However, the Wall Street Journal points out all of this could have been avoided if the developers kept the cladding around the spire, "The bragging rights to America's tallest tower became clouded over a design decision last year to remove from an architectural shell for the mast, leaving behind steel beams and maintenance platforms that weren't meant to be seen. At the time the building's lead designer, David Childs, criticized the decision." The cladding was scrapped due to cost.
So deal with it, Banksy—America's shyscraper with stunning views has won!
