Minoru Yamasaki, the chief architect of the World Trade Center, commissioned several architectural models of the Twin Towers and the complex during the design phase in the early 1960s. These models played an important role in visualizing the unprecedented scale of the project, since nothing of that height and proportion had yet been built.
Yamasaki and his firm created smaller study models to explore tower proportions, plaza space, and the arrangement of the other buildings in the complex. These were mostly white or neutral-toned to emphasize form over detail.
A well-known large-scale model was presented to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in January 1964. It showed the two 110-story towers alongside the plaza and surrounding low-rise buildings. Yamasaki added tiny figurines to demonstrate that the plaza would be “human-scaled,” countering concerns that the massive towers would overwhelm people.
The models were typically made from wood, plastic, and plexiglass, with simplified façade detailing that echoed the vertical lines of the towers’ exterior structure.
One of the most famous images shows Yamasaki standing proudly next to the model, holding a tiny figure in his hand to illustrate scale. He wanted to reassure both officials and the public that the design would not feel alienating despite its size.
Updated models were produced during construction, showing refinements to the plaza, landscaping, and surrounding buildings. These were used for public exhibitions and press presentations. Some of Yamasaki’s WTC models survive in archives and museums. For example, the Skyscraper Museum in New York has displayed models of the World Trade Center in its exhibitions.
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