Maquette
Photo credit: Matt Flynn
Accession Number: C.2009.437.1
Dimensions: 23.5 in X 17.5 in
Dimensions (Metric): 59.69 cm X 44.45 cm
Dimensions (Metric): 59.69 cm X 44.45 cm
Source: Fritz Koenig
Credit Line: Gift of Fritz Koenig and Alexander Rudigier
Description
Miniature bronze maquette of The Sphere by Fritz Koenig.
Miniature bronze maquette of The Sphere by Fritz Koenig.
Historical Notes
This miniature bronze maquette of the World Trade Center Sphere is 1/12 the size of the original created by sculptor Fritz Koenig that was installed on the Plaza of the World Trade Center and significantly damaged on 9/11.
This miniature bronze maquette of the World Trade Center Sphere is 1/12 the size of the original created by sculptor Fritz Koenig that was installed on the Plaza of the World Trade Center and significantly damaged on 9/11.
Curator's Comment
The Sphere was a monumental sculpture commissioned by World Trade Center architect Minoru Yamasaki and the Port of New York Authority, later renamed the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, for the World Trade Center Plaza. Over the course of several years, Fritz Koenig designed and built the 25-foot-tall Sphere from 64 cast bronze segments at his studio in Ganslberg, Germany. Once fully assembled, it was shipped to New York and installed in 1971 in the heart of the World Trade Center’s five-acre public Plaza. The sculpture sat atop a fountain that flowed across a circular expanse of polished stone and was designed to slowly rotate.
Regarded as a symbol of world peace, The Sphere sustained significant damage in the terrorist attack on 9/11 and emerged as a lasting symbol of resilience. In March 2002, it was installed in Battery Park as a temporary memorial to the victims of 9/11.
This particular maquette, given to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, remained in Koenig’s possession until 2008.
HIDE
The Sphere was a monumental sculpture commissioned by World Trade Center architect Minoru Yamasaki and the Port of New York Authority, later renamed the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, for the World Trade Center Plaza. Over the course of several years, Fritz Koenig designed and built the 25-foot-tall Sphere from 64 cast bronze segments at his studio in Ganslberg, Germany. Once fully assembled, it was shipped to New York and installed in 1971 in the heart of the World Trade Center’s five-acre public Plaza. The sculpture sat atop a fountain that flowed across a circular expanse of polished stone and was designed to slowly rotate.
Regarded as a symbol of world peace, The Sphere sustained significant damage in the terrorist attack on 9/11 and emerged as a lasting symbol of resilience. In March 2002, it was installed in Battery Park as a temporary memorial to the victims of 9/11.
This particular maquette, given to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, remained in Koenig’s possession until 2008.
HIDE
