Construction has commenced on 2 World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, a 55-storey supertall designed by Foster + Partners for American Express, which will serve as the sole owner and occupant of the building, as reported by Archinect.

American Express held a groundbreaking ceremony on 9 July 2026 for the project at 200 Greenwich Street. The tower will rise to approximately 1,226 feet, spanning nearly 2 million sq ft across 55 floors with capacity for up to 10,000 employees. Turner Construction is responsible for the core and shell works, with Silverstein Properties serving as developer. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey owns the land, with American Express securing a long-term ground lease.

The design by Foster + Partners presents a stepped composition of slender volumes rising from a rectilinear base, articulated by landscaped terraces and green roofs distributing more than one acre of outdoor space across the tower. A triple-height lobby defines the base, and the building's vertically articulated glass façade is composed of floor-to-ceiling glazing with expressed structural mullions. The scheme will be fully electric, powered by renewable energy, and is targeting LEED certification, making it one of the most ambitious corporate sustainability commitments in the New York office sector.

Norman Foster, founder and executive chairman of Foster + Partners, said the design was rooted in sustainability and wellbeing, adding: "A network of landscaped terraces and gardens provides generous outdoor spaces and contact with nature in the pursuit of a healthier and more desirable working lifestyle."

The project completes the final commercial component of the 16-acre World Trade Center campus masterplan, nearly 25 years after the September 11 attacks reshaped the site. The tower sits directly across from Santiago Calatrava's Oculus transportation hub and adjacent to the Perelman Performing Arts Center.

The development is expected to create more than 3,200 direct and indirect construction jobs in New York City and contribute approximately $5.9 billion (€5.43 billion) to the city economy and $6.3 billion (€5.79 billion) statewide. American Express will retain its current headquarters at 200 Vesey Street, where it has been based since 1986, until the new tower is completed in 2031.