 The original 7 World Trade Center was a 47 @-@ story building , designed by Emery Roth & Sons , with a red granite facade . The building was 610 feet ( 190 m ) tall , with a trapezoidal footprint that was 330 ft ( 100 m ) long and 140 ft ( 43 m ) wide . Tishman Realty & Construction managed construction of the building , which began in 1983 . In May 1987 , the building opened , becoming the seventh structure of the World Trade Center . 
