Top of the World
The Unisphere, located at the center of the radial pathways in the northern half of Flushing Meadows Corona Park, was commissioned for the New York World's Fair of 1964-65. Designed by landscape architect Gilmore D. Clarke (1892–1982) in aluminum with metallic mesh continents, the Unisphere was further refined in stainless steel by industrial designers at Peter Muller-Munk Associates. American Bridge Company, a division of US Steel, engineered, fabricated and erected the 350-ton, 120-foot-diameter globe, which was the centerpiece and icon of the fair.
The sphere features representations of the continents and major mountain ranges in relief, and is encircled by three giant orbital rings that represent the tracks of early satellites. The capital cities of the world were marked by lights. The Unisphere celebrated both the dawn of the space age and the fair’s broader theme of “Peace Through Understanding". Weighing in at 350 tonnes and surrounded by a series of single water-jet fountains, the Unisphere offers visitors a chance to cool off on hot summer days. There are plans afoot to create an entire water park with the fountain as its centrepiece. It has since become a beloved symbol of Queens. Gilmore D. Clarke was one of the most accomplished landscape architects of the 20th century.
