New time-lapse video shows Freedom Tower built at Ground Zero in two minutes



A new two-minute time-lapse video released by the international webcam technology company EarthCam shows One World Trade Center soaring into the Lower Manhattan sky - a process that, in reality, has taken more than six years.



The video, posted by ABC News, shows the structure rising from the ground up, floors by floor, its exterior covered with shiny glass panes.



The release of the video comes just days before the glass-and-steel structure, also known as Freedom Tower, is expected to once again surpass the height of the Empire State Building, which stands at 1,545 feet, becoming the tallest building in Manhattan and one of the tallest in the world.

Skyscraper: One World Trade Center is being built on the site of the original Twin Towers, which were destroyed in the September 11 attacks

One World Trade Center is being built on the site of the original Twin Towers, which were destroyed on September 11, 2001, when two planes hijacked by terrorists slammed into the buildings and caused their collapse, killing some 3,000 people.

Two towers: When completed, Freedom Tower, left, will be 231 feet taller than the Empire State Building, right

WORLD'S FIVE TALLEST BUILDINGS:

Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 2716 feet



Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan - 1,670 feet



Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai, China - 1,614 feet



International Commerce Centre in Hong Kong, China - 1,588 feet



Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - 1,483 feet

When construction on the Freedom Tower is finished in 2013 or 2014, the building will stand at 1,776 feet to the tip of its antenna, 49 feet taller than the old north tower.



So far, 100 floors have been built, and four more remain before the building is completed to the tune of nearly $4 billion.



While both Freedom Tower and the Empire State Building have impressive stature, they are a far cry from the Burj Khalifa building in Dubai, which stands at breathtaking 2716 feet.

Port Authority Executive Director Patrick Foye told reporters that 55 per cent of the office space in the new building has already been leased out.



Among the new high-profile tenants is magazine publisher Condé Nast, which will move into its new 1.1-million-square-foot headquarters.