Home Watch as One World Trade Center Comes to Life in a Stunning Time Lapse

Watch as One World Trade Center Comes to Life in a Stunning Time Lapse

Editor’s note: This post was originally published by our partners at PopSugar Tech.

Across the street from the National September 11 Memorial & Museum now resides the tallest building in the United States, One World Trade Center. Thanks to its 408-foot long spire, the skyscraper reaches 1,776 feet, soaring beyond the Willis Tower in Chicago.

Photographer Benjamin Rosamond had a front-row view to the tower’s construction as it began its ascent into the Manhattan skyline and did what any person with this amazing view would do—mount a camera to their living room window and record as a feat of modern engineering unfolds in front of them. Construction of the building was met with countless delays, with the exterior completed in 2013, seven years after concrete was first poured.

Benjamin had the cameras pointed at the skyline from February 2011 to July 2014, amassing somewhere between 30,000 to 50,000 total photos, which he whittled down to the 1,100 photos you see here for the sake of time (and possibly sanity). Plus, these included the best-looking shots, usually taken shortly after sunrise, when the colors of the buildings and sky are most picturesque. In addition to the living room camera, he occasionally set up one on a tripod on his bathroom—can we have that bathroom view?!—with a long lens to zoom in on specifics of the scene.

And that gorgeous twilight and evening finale to the tower’s construction? That’s comprised of photos from just one sunrise and one sunset, where you can see the literal passage of time with the glowing hands of the clock tower to the right off One World Trade Center. In fact, Benjamin told us, that in itself is the beauty of time lapse: “It shows progress that is not visibly obvious to the naked eye … it highlights the changes that happen too slowly to notice in real time.”

Visits Benjamin’s photography site for more of his breathtaking cityscapes.

More stories from PopSugar Tech:

A Wearable Gadget For Babies That Tracks Their Every Move

The Genius iOS Feature You Might Not Be Using

Felfie, Delfie, Ussie: A Guide to Every Ridiculous Selfie

WTF: This App Makes You Look Thinner by Stretching Your Body

Drop Everything and See the Stunning Winners of the NatGeo Photo Contest

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.