A model of urban design by Cesar Pelli and Associates, this development is a vital part of the revival of Lower Manhattan, and its damage in the World Trade Centre attack was attended to as a matter of urgency.

Four office towers soar skyward, housing the headquarters of some of the world’s most important financial companies. At the heart of the complex lies the dazzling Winter Garden, a vast glass-and-steel public space, flanked by 45 restaurant and shops, opening onto a lively piazza and marina on the Hudson River.

The sweeping marble staircase leading down to the Winter Garden often doubles as seating for free arts and events, varying from classic to contemporary in music, dance and theatre. Sixteen Washingtonia robusta palm trees, 15 metres high, have been replaced in this contemporary version of the palm court. Inaugurated in 1988, the building has been hailed as the Rockefeller Centre of the twentieth century.