'The Sphere' – New York, New York - Atlas Obscura
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'The Sphere'

Manhattan, New York

This sculpture by artist Fritz Keonig survived the 9/11 attacks and now stands as a monument to the victims. 

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The Sphere with Freedom Tower in the back Jason Michael Walker (Atlas Obscura User)
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“The Sphere” by Fritz Koenig was originally designed as a work of art that was situated between the Twin Towers in Manhattan in 1971.

The work was inspired by the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque of Mecca and was meant to symbolize peaceful world trade. After the September 11 attack in 2001, the sphere miraculously remained mostly intact, with only minor damage.

After the attacks the sculpture was stored at JFK Airport. Koenig paired up with director Percy Adlon to create a film entitled Koenigs Kugel explaining the creation and history of the sculpture. On March 11th, 2002 The Sphere was relocated to Battery Park and is now recognized as a monument of the victims of 9/11 and is meant to represent America’s strength and resiliency.

In December of 2013, it was moved around 550 feet from where it was originally relocated to a place closer to Castle Clinton to accommodate renovations that were going on at the time. On July 22, 2016, the Port Authority voted to move it yet again to the newly made Liberty Park, where it’s been since September 6, 2017.

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