Liberty Park-September 11 Memorial-WTC-World Trade CEnter RenderingRendering via Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

The World Trade Center is getting a new elevated park, something which The New York Times announced today as the development’s “best kept secret.” There will be panoramic views of the World Trade Center from Liberty Park for visitors to take in the predominance of 1 WTC, now the country’s tallest building, and the site’s other important elements like the 9/11 Memorial, 4 WTC  and the soaring Santiago Calatrava-designed transit hub.

Functionally, the park serves to connect east and west over West Street, between the WTC site and Battery Park City. It also serves as a landscaped forecourt to the new Byzantine-style church, St Nicholas Orthodox Church, on the corner of Greenwich Street and Liberty Street. The original structure was destroyed on 9/11, the new is also to designed by Santiago Calatrava. There will also be a “living wall,” similar to that at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris along Liberty Street. Below the park will be the WTC vehicle security center. We’ll have to wait until next year to see construction progress on the park however–for now, it remains an empty concrete roof.

Get in touch with the author @untappedmich.