The centerpiece of the Austin J. Tobin Plaza between the Twin Towers of the original World Trade Center was “The Sphere,” a 25-foot-tall bronze globe by German sculptor Fritz Koenig symbolizing world peace through world trade; cast in 52 sections in Bremen and installed in 1971, it stood within a circular fountain and rotated once every 24 hours, becoming a lunchtime gathering spot for workers. Remarkably, The Sphere was the only major artwork to survive the September 11 attacks—emerging from the rubble scarred but intact—and was rescued, displayed in Battery Park, and ultimately reinstalled in Liberty Park near the 9/11 Memorial in 2017 as a powerful testament to resilience and remembrance.
