The Twin Towers were also used in Philippe Petit's tightrope-walking performance on August 7, 1974.

It had a major role in popular culture, and according to one estimate was depicted in 472 films. Although its design was initially criticized by New York citizens and professional critics, the Twin Towers became an icon of New York City. During its existence, the World Trade Center symbolized globalization and the economic power of America. It awarded the lease to Silverstein Properties in July 2001. In 1998, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey decided to privatize it by leasing the buildings to a private company to manage. The buildings at the complex were designed by Minoru Yamasaki. The idea was suggested by David Rockefeller to help stimulate urban renewal in Lower Manhattan, and his brother Nelson signed the legislation to build it. The core complex was built between 19, at a cost of $400 million (equivalent to $3.56 billion in 2022 ). The complex contained 13,400,000 square feet (1,240,000 m 2) of office space and, prior to its completion, was projected to accommodate an estimated 130,000 people. Other buildings in the complex included the Marriott World Trade Center (3 WTC), 4 WTC, 5 WTC, 6 WTC, and 7 WTC. At the time of their completion, the Twin Towers-the original 1 World Trade Center (the North Tower) at 1,368 feet (417 m) and 2 World Trade Center (the South Tower) at 1,362 feet (415.1 m)-were the tallest buildings in the world. It opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The original World Trade Center ( WTC) was a large complex of seven buildings in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Worthington, Skilling, Helle & Jackson, Leslie E. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

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