The Unisphere is a spherical representation in Stainless steel of the Ground, located in the park Flushing Meadows of the Queens at New York. Unisphere, a height equivalent to that of twelve stages was built at the time of the International exhibition of New York 1964-1965, whose total topic was “peace through the comprehension” ( Peace Through Understanding ), like a representation of the independence of planet, and it was dedicated to the “success of the man on a planet which narrows and a universe who widens” ( Man' S Achievements one has Shrinking Globe in year Expanding Universe ). Unisphere is today the nonofficial symbol of the Borough of the Queens.

The drawing of Unisphere is the work of the landscape designer Gilmore D. Clarke, and it is the American company U.S. Steel which made the gift of it, after its realization by the American Bridge Division . Unisphere constitutes the greatest spherical structure in the world, with a height of 42,7 meters (140 feet) and a weight of 317,5 tons, even if certain sources mention 408 ton, by including the base. The diameter of the sphere it even is of 36,6 meters (120 feet), and the Stainless steel which composes it is of 304L type.

Unisphere was built on the same site as the Perisphere , structure central of the International exhibition of New York 1939-1940, in the center of a circular basin surrounded by a series of water jets intended to occult its support in the shape of reversed triangle. The objective is thus to give the illusion that Unisphere floats in space. During the night during the fair, a play of light on the structure gave the impression which the sun radiated on the surface of the sphere. In addition to that, the various world capitals were marked out by small lights containing four Ampoule S each one, and, interesting detail; if one of the bulbs had suddenly roasted, another came to take its place so that the technicians are not obliged to replace it during the two years of opening of the fair. Unfortunately, none of these luminous devices functions today. Around Unisphere, three orbital rings in Stainless steel recall the courses of Youri Gagarine, the first man in space, John Glenn, first American to make it tower of the Ground, and TELSTAR 1, the satellite first of communications. At the time of the construction of the structure, NASA knew its apogee, and these three orbits are the symbols of the early success of American, only five years before Neil Armstrong does not pose the foot on the the Moon.

In 1989, the New York City Department off Parks and Recreation announced a renovation project engaging several million dollars of the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Among the projects a restoration of Unisphere appeared, including several repairs of the structure, as well as the withdrawal of several spots accumulated on steel since nearly thirty years. Work started in 1993, and was completed on May 31st 1994. The fountains, which had been closed at the end of the Années 1970 were they also renovated, and a new system of projectors was set up. May 10th 1995, Unisphere acquired the statute of official landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission , constituting in that the single monument protected from the complex formed by Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.

See too

Internal bonds

• International exhibition of New York 1964-1965
• Flushing Meadows
• Flushing

External bonds

• Photograph gallery of Unisphere