Special Presentation: The World Trade Center Model

November 18, 2008 - January 14, 2009

The National Building Museum, in association with the American Architectural Foundation, is honored to present the only remaining original presentation model of the World Trade Center.  This is a rare opportunity for the museum's audience to view this priceless artifact.

 

This exceptional model was meticulously constructed between 1969 and 1971 in the model shop of Minoru Yamasaki and Associates (MYA), the lead architecture firm responsible for the design of the World Trade Center.  Located in Troy, Michigan, just outside Detroit, MYA tapped the talents of precision mold makers working in the automotive industry to help fabricate the model’s plastic components.  The three-dimensionality of the individual pieces and the resulting realism this created was unprecedented for architectural models of the period.   

 

The Octagon, the museum of the American Architectural Foundation, acquired the model in 1993 and shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001, received a Save America’s Treasures grant to fund its preservation.  The accompanying video captures the work of the conservation team as they determined how to best stabilize, conserve, and restore this unique piece of American architectural heritage. 

 

This special presentation is sponsored through the generous support of the American Architectural Foundation, McGraw Hill Construction, and Mr. Alex Klatskin of New York.