My relationship with The Sphere began when I was a tour guide in New York.
I was stationed at the World Trade Center and met tourists from all over the world who wanted to see the Twin Towers. The plaza at the base of the towers was surrounded by five other impressive buildings. The Sphere was on top of a fountain in a space between the towers.
The Sphere is a large bronze sculpture. It weighed more than 20 tons and was 17 feet wide. The Sphere was mounted on a disc and sprayed with water. The fountain and The Sphere were a perfect complement to each other.
The sculptor was from Germany. One of the most important and prominent German sculptors after WWII was Koenig. Minoru Yamasaki, the original architect of the World Trade Center, selected him to be commissioned by the Port Authority. The huge sculpture was cast in 52 bronze segments and shipped to Lower Manhattan. It was installed in 1971 and unveiled a year later. Originally called Groe Kugelkaryatid N.Y., which roughly means Large Sphere N.Y., it eventually became known as The Sphere.
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It was supposed to be a contrast to the towers and a symbol of world peace. A perfectly round sphere was not created as a reference. Interrupting the smooth surface, like a giant egg cracking, long lines curved around its circumference. Black geometric forms form between the cracks. There were many photos of New Yorkers and tourists in the background.
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We watched the World Trade Center being attacked from our balcony. My tour guiding jobs stopped after we were forced to leave. I thought The Sphere had turned to dust because it was in the shadows of the towers. The 2001 documentary states that Koenig assumed the worst. He told a friend in New York that it was peeking out of the rubble. The thing is not destroyed. I watched it on television. I think it is a miracle.
The Sphere was to be reinstalled in the park six months later. I rushed to see it. I was shocked as I approached. The golden shine was gone. The sphere was not a sphere anymore.
The Sphere was given a temporary home while a decision was made on the future of the site of the attacks. It is different from the one I have given it.
I would take tourists to The Battery to catch a ferry to the Statue of Liberty. I would stop the group near The Sphere and tell them the history of the sculpture. It became a way for people to see that New York City was coming to terms with 9/11.
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The piece of art now rests in a beautiful, elevated space with a living wall of ivy, gardens and trees, where it can be watched. The original footprint of the World Trade Center can be seen from this location. Visitors are invited to rest and reflect on the park's views.
The Sphere has been important to the city because of its survival and visibility. The Sphere's "scars and battered shape testify to the perseverance and resilience of New York, America, and of those values," according to Michael Burke.
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The Sphere is a survivor of 9/11. It isn't as beautiful as it used to be, but it has a bigger role to play in connecting the present to the past.
The article was last updated about 2 hours ago.
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