FROM THE ARCHIVES: Twin Towers at World Trade Center, NY

Project name: Twin Towers at World Trade Center

Location: New York, NY

Architecture: Minoru Yamasaki

Commission: Port of New York New Jersey Authority

Date: 1986

Carpet Design: custom

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey reached out to Edward Fields in 1986, recommended by Minoru Yamasaki, the architect of the Twin Towers.

The towers were part of the World Trade Center, a complex of seven buildings in the Financial District Manhattan built in the late 1960s and opened in 1973. The lobbies, mezzanines and sky lobbies where all carpeted with the same solid color throughout. The existing colors and qualities did not wear well and we were asked for a recommendation. Because of the wide uninterrupted expanses of essentially solid color material, when wear or some other calamity would interrupt the surface repairs or replacements were mismatched and unsightly.

We suggested that each area be separated from adjacent spaces with terrazzo borders. That allowed us to slightly alter the color of each 20’ x 40’ area so that they could be replaced without there being the appearance of wear and misuse.