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Aldred Lord Tennyson once said, “Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering ‘it will be happier’…”
Without the virtue hope, we are lost. Hope is a response to the desire God has placed in each one of us for happiness, wholeness, and eternal life. Hope encourages us, sustains us, and opens our hearts to what is possible. Tangible signs and symbols of hope are important reminders of the promises of God and the goodness that exists in the world.
Next month marks 14 years since the Twin Towers came down on 9-11 in New York City and in its place has risen One World Trade Center, the main building of the new World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan. It is now the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere, and the fourth-tallest in the world.
From October 2004 to Memorial Day 2015, EarthCam captured hundreds of thousands of high definition images during the building of One World Trade Center and then released the special edition video above to commemorate the structure. The video was produced and directed by Brian Cury, EarthCam’s CEO & Founder, who said, "It’s our mission to continue to document this for future generations, so people can see what it took to rebuild these important 16 acres."
The video is not only a testament to the designers, builders and workers of the new World Trade Center, it documents the rise of a cultural symbol of hope. Soaring to 1,776 feet, and clad in more than 2,000 pieces of shimmering prismatic glass, the building is already an iconic New York landmark. With entrances on all four sides, its cubic base has a footprint identical to the original Twin Towers and its edges form eight isosceles triangles, making a perfect octagon at the center. An enclosed observation deck rises 1,250 ft. above street level and at night, a beacon at the top sends out a horizontal light beam, which can be seen from miles away.
While One World Trade Center can never adequately honor the lives of those lost, it serves as a symbol of hope abd perseverance for generations to come.
Zoe Romanowsky is lifestyle editor and video content producer for Aleteia.
And today we celebrate...