New York’s One World Trade Center – welcomed its first tenants in November, 13 years after the 9/11 terror attacks – will open its doors to the public at the end of May, with tickets now on sale for the western hemisphere’s tallest skyscraper.

The Hettema Group are behind the design of the 120,000sq ft (11,148sq m) observation deck and accompanying visitor experience. Legends Hospitality was chosen in 2013 by The Port Authority Board of Commissioners to run the attraction, which sits at the top of New York’s skyline.

The experience starts from the ground up as visitors walk along a multi-sensory passageway telling the story of the new World Trade Center’s construction. The underground walkway will feature soundbites from people who worked on the construction of the building, along with messages incorporating historical facts and statistics about the building's structure and foundations.

From there, visitors will board one of five state-of-the-art glass elevators – among the fastest lifts in the world – which will take passengers up 1,268 ft (386.5 m) to the 1,792 ft (546.2 m) tower’s top floor. The “Skypod” elevators give riders the virtual experience of being outside of the building, with New York seemingly rising up from the ground from its foundations in the 1600s as they make the 60 second ascent.

"They wanted something unique," said a spokesperson for Hettema speaking to AM2 about the brief from the Port Authority. "They wanted it to compete with the other observatories in the market and it was an early goal not to focus on 9/11 as this was more about the future and the vibrancy and resiliency of New York City."

The attraction features a series of multimedia exhibits, presenting One World Trade Center as a “global nexus of 21st-century commerce, culture and community set in the heart of the most dynamic international city in the world”. Included on the observation deck are several dining options, a gift shop, space for special events and the “See Forever” theatre where visitors will learn about New York and the future of the city. The observatory also features the Sky Portal where guests can step onto a 14-foot wide circular disc that will deliver a real-time, high-definition view of the streets below.

The tower, designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), cost US$3.9bn (€3.6bn, £2.6bn) to develop. Tishman Realty & Construction – the firm that built the original World Trade Centers destroyed in the 9/11 attacks – led the construction team for the new development. SOM’s design uses the sun to create a kaleidoscope effect on the building’s exterior, with the varied outer glass surfaces changing appearance depending on light and weather conditions. Development of floors 100-102 started in early 2014 and when it opens on 29 May the observation tower is expected to welcome millions of visitors on an annual basis.