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05/10/2012 06:34 PM

Design Change Spires Debate Over 1 WTC's Height

By: NY1 News

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When it comes to architecture some say size does matter.

One World Trade Center - once complete - could be the tallest in the country. But it all depends on the spike at the top.

Developers had planned to encase the 408-foot needle in steel and fiberglass. However, it was scrapped because the spire would be difficult to maintain.

That factors into measuring the height of the tower because if it's viewed as an antenna, it will not count.

Without the spire, One World Trade Center will be shorter than the Willis Tower in Chicago.