The Oculus

Westfield

Right next to Ground Zero, you'll admire the unmissable Westfield Shopping Center, which also serves as the main subway station in lower Manhattan.

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The 125-store mall opened in 2016 and immediately became the largest department store in Manhattan. Most of the stores are located underground, and the iconic main building also shelters the central subway transfer station where 6 lines cross.

The iconic Oculus building

The Westfield Shopping Center certainly doesn't just attract shopping enthusiasts or subway riders, it attracts the attention of the general public. This is due to the highly extravagant yet subtle and graceful main roof building, also known as The Oculus Building.

The building represents the flight of the white dove of peace and is intended to commemorate the settlement of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, which took place on this very spot.

The structure consists of gently curved white steel 'ribs' that rise from the ground to resemble the wings of a dove. The architect is the famous Spanish designer Santiago Calatrava.

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