Originally commissioned for the World Trade Center, The Sphere stood between the Twin Towers in Austin Tobin Plaza from 1971 until the 9/11 attacks.  On this day of remembrance, let us look at a symbol of peace that employees and tenants of the Twin Towers were greeted with everyday. The 25 foot high bronze by Fritz Koenig was meant to symbolize world peace through world trade, and rotated once ever 24 hours. It was set atop a ring of fountains by Minoru Yamasaki, that mimicked the Grand Mosque of Mecca, Masjid al-Haram.



After the September 11 attacks, the sculpture somehow only suffered partial damage, including rumors of having an airline seat lodged into it and other debris from the skyscrapers (an inside source tells me a Bible was jammed in the top).

After a documentary was made about the sculpture, it was decided that it would not be repaired, but instead would serve as a symbol of the indestructible spirit of America. In 2002 it was temporarily moved to Battery Park, alongside an Eternal Flame which is a memorial to 9/11 victims. It still stands in Battery Park until the completion of the National September 11^th Memorial, having changed from a sculpture to a monument.

Who: Fritz Koenig

What: The Sphere

Where: