First stone laid for Freedom Tower

A 20-TON slab of granite, inscribed to honour "the enduring spirit of freedom," was laid yesterday at the World Trade Center site as the cornerstone of the skyscraper that will replace the destroyed towers.

The ceremony marked the start of construction on the 1,776ft Freedom Tower, designed as a twisting glass and steel tower that evokes the Statue of Liberty, including a 276ft spire resembling her torch. Its height in feet is to symbolise the year the United States gained independence from Britain.

Organisers say it would be the world's largest skyscraper - but it's not clear whether it would hold that title by the time it's scheduled to be completed in 2009. The current largest skyscraper is Taipei 101 in Taiwan at 1,667ft, which this year surpassed the 1,483ft Petrona Towers in Malaysia.