Speculation around Battery Park was rampant earlier this week as the historically significant sculpture The Sphere was dismantled and moved yesterday. Created by German artist Fritz Koenig, The Sphere was an art installation between the two former World Trade Center towers. It was recovered damaged, but intact within the ruins of 9/11 and temporarily relocated to Battery Park in 2002 as an interim memorial with the intent to move it back to the WTC site when appropriate. Since then the sculpture has had an air of mystery as public officials refused to disclose any information on relocation or repair of the sculpture, but promising that it would be moved back to WTC as planned.
Onlookers in Battery wondered if that day had perhaps arrived, as workers loaded the sculpture onto a truck while refusing to comment on where it was headed. Officials with the National September 11th Memorial had no idea where it was headed nor did the NJ/NY Port Authority who have jurisdiction over the 1WTC site.
Battery Park City Authority officials, including experienced real estate moguls with relocation experience Carl Mattone and Donald Cappocia, had also mentioned nothing. The ending was unfortunately anticlimactic. Arthur Pincus, an assistant commissioner of the parks department, said that The Sphere was simply being moved about 500 ft. to another location in the park to accommodate renovations.
The wait is back on with the public once again unsure as to the fate of the sculpture. Soon to be ex-Mayor Bloomberg has stated that the structure is “beautiful where it is” while the executive director at Port Authority Patrick Foye believes it belongs in the Memorial Plaza. The BPCA once again remain silent on the matter.
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