Soaring Building for World Trade Center Site Is Unveiled By Etta Sanders A model of the building that will once again bring the world's tallest structure to the World Trade Center site was unveiled in a ceremony on Dec. 19. The 1776-foot tall Freedom tower, designed by architect David Childs, will have 70 stories of office space topped by an observation deck and the returning Windows on theWorld restaurant. Above those floors will be a lacy column of open-air cables enclosing wind generated turbines that may provide as much as 20% of the building's energy requirements. At the apex will be the asymmetrical spire that was a signature feature of architect Daniel Liebskind's master plan. The tower, with 2.6 million square feet of office space, will be the first office building to be rebuilt on the site. Governor George Pataki said the cornerstone will be laid by the 3rd anniversary of the attacks with a goal of completion by 2008 or 2009. Local officials cited the design as a positive development for Lower Manhattan. "This is the first anchor of what we hope to see, a great commercial and residential district," said Madelyn Wills, cairperson of Community board 1, Carl Weisbrod, president of the Downtown Alliance, praised the design as "maybe the first 21st century building we're going to see," adding that the office space would be "highly marketable." The building, as well as the setting of the ceremony in the domed rotunda of Federal Hall, was laden with symbolism. The 1776-foot height refers to the year of American independence, the open-air cables mirror the Brooklyn Bridge and the spire reflects the Statue of Liberty. "It will be the new icon of the New York City skyline, " said developer Larry Silverstein, who will pay the expected $1 billion plus cost out of insurance proceeds from the destruction of the World Trade Center.