the current 3 world trade center is the second building at the site to bear this name. the original building was the marriott world trade center, a hotel located in the southwest corner of the world trade center complex. the hotel was a 22-story steel-framed structure with 825 rooms. it had a roof height of . construction began in 1979 and it opened in july 1981 as the vista international hotel. the entire world trade center complex was destroyed during the september 11 attacks in 2001.