The Sphere

The Sphere stands as a twenty-five-foot tall bronze monument that once occupied the center of the Austin J. Tobin Plaza at the original World Trade Center. German artist Fritz Koenig cast the massive structure in fifty-two individual segments, intending it to serve as a symbol of world peace through trade. Architect Minoru Yamasaki designed a surrounding ring of fountains for the plaza, a layout that drew inspiration from the sacred courtyard of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, with the sculpture positioned where the Kaaba would traditionally stand. For three decades, the sculpture served as a popular gathering point for workers and visitors in the heart of the financial district.