Towering Achievement In New York

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Pasadena design firm Hettema Group Inc., which last fall won a bid to design the world’s tallest Ferris wheel in Las Vegas, is reaching even higher.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey last month selected Hettema to design the observation deck experience for the newly constructed World Trade Center.

Founder Phil Hettema said his firm was honored to work on the project because of its powerful emotional history.

“As designers, we really consider ourselves storytellers and there’s not a more compelling story than the World Trade Center tower,” he said. “It’s a story of rebirth and renewal.”

Hettema won the design bid in partnership with New York’s Legends Hospitality LLC, which operates major sports venues, including Yankee Stadium. Construction is set to start in 2014 and be completed the following year.

Hettema’s plans for the space call for an immersive experience that begins on the ground floor, where guests walk through a winding corridor that lays out the history of the building and the people who made it. A glass-walled elevator will speed visitors up to the 102nd floor, with its panoramic views of the city.

A dining room and bar will be located at a level lower; on the 100th floor, guests will be greeted by hosts who can point out important landmarks and other information.

“We’re trying to give some strong context to visitors to the building to talk about what the building means symbolically and emotionally,” Hettema said. “That way, when you get to the top, you have a more powerful filter to understand what a special place it is.”

– Bethany Firnhaber

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