Prismatic Glass Facade for World Trade Center Tower Scrapped After It Broke in Tests

NEW YORK, NY (AP).- The owners of the World Trade Center have nixed plans to cover the first 20 stories of its signature skyscraper with decorative glass after it broke in testing. The glass was expected to help 1 World Trade Center look more open at its windowless base after it was redesigned to become strong enough to withstand a truck bomb. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey had spent about $6 million on the custom-made prismatic glass panels for the 1,776-foot skyscraper, which is slated to be the tallest in the U.S. when it is completed in late 2013. But the glass bowed and broke during off-site testing and the agency decided to replace it in late March.

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