Making a Monument: The Fall and Rise of the World Trade Center: Minoru Yamasaki's design for the World Trade Center, unveiled in 1964, was harshly criticized, only gradually gaining a place in the hearts of New Yorkers and tourists alike in the years that followed the towers opening in 1972-73. After they were destroyed on September 11, 2001, the twin towers were lionized. Like monuments in all ages, the World Trade Center has had its meaning defined and changed several times in response to the needs, expectations, and memories of the people. Dr. David Brownlee, Shapiro-Weitzenhoffer Professor of the History of Art at Penn, recounts the story of the World Trade Center as he explores the making of monuments in the modern world.