Artwork At The World Trade Center (1973–2001)
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The original World Trade Center complex featured a variety of sculptures and other art pieces from 1973 until the destruction of the buildings in the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
. Many of these art pieces were located on the Austin J. Tobin Plaza in the center of the complex, or in the lobby of
7 World Trade Center 7 World Trade Center (7 WTC, WTC-7, or Tower 7) is an office building constructed as part of the new World Trade Center (2001–present), World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The tower is located on a city block bounded by Gr ...
.


Works


''The Hudson River Portfolio'' (1820) by William Guy Wall

''The Hudson River Portfolio'' is a series of 20 engravings of the
Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...
, completed by
William Guy Wall William Guy Wall (1792–1864) was an American painter of Irish birth.Howat, John K., "A Picturesque Site in the Catskills: The Kaaterskill Falls as Painted by William Guy Wall", ''Honolulu Academy of Arts Journal'', vol. I, 1974, 16. Wall was b ...
in 1820. One of the engravings was located at the complex, and was destroyed.


''Bird's Eye View of New York and Brooklyn'' (1851) by John Backman

''The Hudson River Portfolio'' is a widely reprinted etching on stone of
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
seen from the air, completed by John Backman in 1851. One of these prints, located in the complex, was destroyed in the September 11 attacks.


''Bent Propeller'' (1970) by Alexander Calder

The sculpture was commissioned by the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, (PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ) is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate c ...
in 1969 and installed in 1970 at the
World Trade Center World Trade Centers are the hundreds of sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may also refer to: Buildings * World Trade Center (1973–2001), a building complex that was destroyed during the September 11 at ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. The sculpture was heavily damaged in the collapse of 7 World Trade Center, where the sculpture was located. Only around 40 percent of the sculpture was recovered from the site after the attacks. With not enough of the original remaining for a restoration, the recovered elements were stored by the Calder Foundation. Today, a portion of the sculpture can be found at the
National September 11 Memorial & Museum The National September 11 Memorial & Museum (also known as the 9/11 Memorial & Museum) is a memorial and museum that are part of the World Trade Center complex, in New York City, created for remembering the September 11 attacks in 2001 which k ...
.


''The Sphere'' (1971) by Fritz Koenig

The world's largest bronze sculpture of modern times stood between the Twin Towers on the Austin J. Tobin Plaza of the
World Trade Center World Trade Centers are the hundreds of sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may also refer to: Buildings * World Trade Center (1973–2001), a building complex that was destroyed during the September 11 at ...
in New York City from 1972 until the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
. The work, weighing more than 20 tons, was the only remaining work of art to be recovered largely intact from the ruins of the collapsed Twin Towers. After being dismantled and stored near a hangar at
John F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport is a major international airport serving New York City and its metropolitan area. JFK Airport is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City, bordering Jamaica Bay. It is ...
, the sculpture was the subject of the 2001 documentary ''Koenig's Sphere''. Since then, the bronze sphere has become a memorial for the attacks. The sculpture was installed in
Battery Park The Battery, formerly known as Battery Park, is a public park located at the southern tip of Manhattan#Manhattan Island, Manhattan Island in New York City facing New York Harbor. The park is bounded by Battery Place on the north, with Bowling ...
between 2002 and 2017, when the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, (PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ) is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate c ...
moved it to
Liberty Park Liberty Park is a elevated public park at the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York City, overlooking the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan. The park, which opened on June 29, 2016, is located above the World Trade ...
, overlooking the September 11 Memorial and its original location. The sculpture, rededicated at its permanent location on August 16, 2017, has been kept in the badly damaged condition it was found in after the September 11 attacks.


''Ideogram'' (1972) by James Rosati

Located on the Austin J. Tobin Plaza, in front of the
Marriott World Trade Center The New York Marriott World Trade Center, also known as 3 World Trade Center (3 WTC), was a 22-story, 825-room hotel in New York City, within the original World Trade Center complex in downtown Manhattan. It opened in April 1981 as the Vista I ...
, the work was lost in the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
. Though the sculpture may have survived the attacks and collapse of the buildings, its steel material was indistinguishable from the Ground Zero rubble. As a result, the sculpture was never recovered, and its remains were removed from Ground Zero along with the rest of the rubble. According to Saul Wenegrat, former director of the art program for the
Port Authority A port authority (less commonly a port district) is a governmental or quasi-governmental public authority for a special-purpose district usually formed by a legislative body (or bodies) to operate ports and other transportation infrastructure. ...
, the sculpture may have been the most photographed piece of art in the World Trade Center Complex. It was also featured in many fashion advertisements.


''World Trade Center Plaza Sculpture'' (1972) by Masayuki Nagare

Completed in 1972, ''Cloud Fortress'' occupied a minor plaza between buildings 4 and 5 that gave access from Church Street to the large Austin J. Tobin Plaza central to the complex of World Trade Center buildings. The sculpture survived the immediate attacks and collapse of the adjacent buildings, but was demolished several days later by emergency efforts to access and clear the site and provide a stable area for heavy machinery to further access Austin J. Tobin Plaza. Following the sculpture's demolition, its remains were removed from Ground Zero along with the rest of the rubble. In 2004, Nagare created a one-half replica and named it "Cloud Fortress Jr."("雲の砦Jr."). It is on display at
Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art The opened in Sapporo, Hokkaidō is the second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by ...
.


''The World Trade Center Tapestry'' (1974) by Doug Argue

Saul Wenegrat, former director of the art program for the
Port Authority of New York The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, (PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ) is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate compact authorized ...
, had suggested to Miró that he could make a tapestry for the World Trade Center, but the artist declined as he would only make the work with his own hands but had no experience of making a tapestry. However, after his daughter recovered from an accident in
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, Miró agreed to make a tapestry for the hospital that had treated her as a token of his gratitude. Having learned the technique from tapestry maker Josep Royo, Miró made several other tapestries with Royo, including one for the World Trade Center, ''Woman'' for the
National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art is an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of charge, the museum was privately established in ...
in
Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
, and one for the
Fundació Joan Miró The Fundació Joan Miró ( ; English: Joan Miró Foundation, Centre of Studies of Contemporary Art) is a modern art museum honoring the life and work of the Spanish artist Joan Miró, located on the hill called Montjuïc in Barcelona, Catalonia ( ...
. The work was an abstract design, with bright blocks of colour, red, green, blue and yellow, with black elements and a light brown background. Made of wool and hemp, it measured and weighed 4 tons. It was completed in 1973 and displayed at a retrospective at the
Grand Palais The (; ), commonly known as the , is a historic site, exhibition hall and museum complex located in the 8th arrondissement of Paris between the Champs-Élysées and the Seine, France. Construction of the began in 1897 following the demolitio ...
in Paris before being installed in New York City in 1974.


''The Builders'' (1974) by Jacob Lawrence

''Recollection Pond'' was a 30" x 22" 1/8" painting by Jacob Lawrence that was located inside the complex. It was removed at some point from 1974 to 2001, and was removed before the attacks, subsequently surviving.


''Recollection Pond'' (1974) by Romare Bearden

''Recollection Pond'' was a 61″ x 79″ tapestry by
Romare Bearden Romare Bearden (, ) (September 2, 1911 – March 12, 1988) was an American artist, author, and songwriter. He worked with many types of media including cartoons, oils, and collages. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bearden grew up in New York C ...
that was located in the World Trade Center from 1974 until its destruction in 2001. It was also briefly displayed at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...
.


''Entablature'' (1975) by Roy Lichtenstein

''Entablature'' was an abstract painting designed by
Roy Lichtenstein Roy Fox Lichtenstein ( ; October27, 1923September29, 1997) was an American pop artist. He rose to prominence in the 1960s through pieces which were inspired by popular advertising and the comic book style. Much of his work explores the relations ...
. It was destroyed in the attacks during the collapse of 7 World Trade Center, where it was located.


''Fan Dancing with the Birds'' (1976) by Hunt Slonem

''Fan Dancing with the Birds'', completed by painter
Hunt Slonem Hunt Slonem (born Hunt Slonim; July 18, 1951) is an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker. He is best known for his Neo-Expressionist paintings of butterflies, bunnies, and his tropical birds, often based on a personal aviary in which he has ...
in 1976, was a wall mural located in Port Authority Executive Dining Room at 1 World Trade Center. It was one of the murals in the "fan dancing" series.


''Sky Gate, New York'' (1978) by ''Louise Nevelson''

The sculpture was commissioned by Saul Wenegrat, director of the art program for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, for the World Trade Center and its "Percent For Art" program. The piece evolved through several redesigns before its dedication. The largest work the sculptor had created to date, the wall piece was 32 feet wide, 17 feet tall and a foot thick — and comprised more than 35 segments, each a dark painted wood relief. Completed in 1977 or 1978 (reported variously), ''Sky Gate was dedicated at the mezzanine of One World Trade Center on December 12, 1978, overlooking Austin J. Tobin Plaza. Kitty Carlisle Hart, chair of the
New York State Council on the Arts The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) serves to foster and advance the arts, culture, and creativity throughout New York State, according to its website. The goal of the council is to allow all New Yorkers to benefit from the contribution ...
presided over the ceremony. The sculpture was destroyed during the September 11 attacks and was not recovered.


''Commuter Landscape'' (1980) by Cynthia Mailman

''Commuter Landscape'' was a
mural A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...
painted by
Cynthia Mailman Cynthia Mailman (born 1942 in the Bronx, New York) is an American painter and educator. She is known for figurative and landscape works done in a "cool, pared-down" style. Her early paintings were presented from a perspective inside the artist's ...
that was located at the WTC PATH station from 1980 until it was destroyed in 2001.


''Pink Strelitzia'' (1980) by Jim Dine

''Pink Strelitzia'', a paper etching, depicted a flower in a pot. The work, done by
Jim Dine Jim Dine (born June 16, 1935) is an American artist. Dine's work includes painting, drawing, printmaking (in many forms including lithographs, etchings, gravure, intaglio, woodcuts, letterpress, and linocuts), sculpture, and photography. Educ ...
in 1980, was located at one of the buildings in the complex.


''Andrea Doria'' (1984) by Ronald Mallory

''Andrea Doria'', a painting completed by
Ronald Mallory Ronald Mallory (June 17, 1932 – July 7, 2021) was a Philadelphia born architect and artist who worked in New York City and Milan, Italy, and his old age lived in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. His family had come to United States from Russi ...
in 1984, was hung on one of the walls at the
Windows on the World Windows on the World was a complex of dining, meeting, and entertainment venues on the top floors (106th and 107th) of the North Tower (Building One) of the original World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. ...
restaurant at the top of the North Tower. It was never recovered after the September 11 attacks.


''The Third Circle'' (1986) by Al Held

The painting, done by
Al Held Al Held (October 12, 1928 – July 27, 2005) was an American Abstract expressionist painter. He was particularly well known for his large scale Hard-edge paintings. As an artist, multiple stylistic changes occurred throughout his career, ho ...
, was located in the lobby of 7 World Trade Center from 1986 until its destruction in 2001.


''The Asymptote'' (1988) by Carol Szymanski

''The Asymptote'' was a large black-steel sculpture that was located on the lobby level of 7 World Trade Center from 1988 until the September 11 attacks. Completed by Carol Szymanski, the sculpture was able to be hung on a wall, but also could stand upright.


''Crusading Euphoria'' (1989) by Ross Bleckner

''Crusading Euphoria'' was a large painting of vertical lines in a pattern completed by Ross Bleckner in 1989. It was located in the lobby of 7 World Trade Center, and was never recovered after the September 11 attacks.


''1993 World Trade Center Bombing Memorial'' (1995) by Elyn Zimmerman

Designed by Elyn Zimmerman, the memorial and its surroundings were intentionally made to resemble a
bullseye Bullseye or Bull's Eye may refer to: Symbols * ◎ (Unicode U+25CE BULLSEYE), in the Geometric Shapes Unicode block * (Unicode U+0298 LATIN LETTER BILABIAL CLICK), the phonetic symbol for bilabial click Animals and plants * Bull's Eye, '' Eury ...
when observed from a bird's-eye view, as it was situated directly above the ground zero site of the bombing, between One World Trade Center and the Marriott World Trade Center Hotel. The interior of the fountain had purposely cracked, white granite walls that evoked the appearance of ancient tumulus markers—mounds of earth raised over graves.


''Laestrygonia'' & ''Telepilus Laestrygonia II'' (1997) by Frank Stella

''Laestrygonia'' and ''Telepilus Laestrygonia II'' were a series of 10-foot by 10-foot paintings completed by artist
Frank Stella Frank Philip Stella (May 12, 1936 – May 4, 2024) was an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker, noted for his work in the areas of minimalism and post-painterly abstraction. He lived and worked in New York City for much of his career befor ...
, that hung in the lobby of 7 World Trade Center until they were both destroyed in 2001. They were bought by
Larry Silverstein Larry A. Silverstein (born May 30, 1931) is an American billionaire businessman. Among his real estate projects, he is the developer of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City, as well as one of New York's tal ...
in 1997.


''World Trade Center Peace on Earth Sculpture'' (1998)

The ''World Trade Center Peace on Earth Sculpture'' was a large sculpture that stood on the West Street stairs that led to the plaza from 1998 to 2001.


''New York Metamorphosis'' (1998) by Torild Stray

''New York Metamorphosis'' is a charcoal drawing completed by Torild Stray that was briefly located on the 85th floor of 1 World Trade Center.


''Union'' by Hunt Slonem

''Union'' was a white
marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
sculpture located in the lobby of 2 World Trade Center for an unknown amount of time before its destruction. It was made by
Hunt Slonem Hunt Slonem (born Hunt Slonim; July 18, 1951) is an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker. He is best known for his Neo-Expressionist paintings of butterflies, bunnies, and his tropical birds, often based on a personal aviary in which he has ...
, and sat atop a
granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
pedestal in one of the corners of the lobby, in the upper
mezzanine A mezzanine (; or in Italian, a ''mezzanino'') is an intermediate floor in a building which is partly open to the double-height ceilinged floor below, or which does not extend over the whole floorspace of the building, a loft with non-sloped ...
.


''Path Mural'' by Cynthia Mailman

''Path Mural'', like ''Commuter Landscape'', was a
mural A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...
painted by
Cynthia Mailman Cynthia Mailman (born 1942 in the Bronx, New York) is an American painter and educator. She is known for figurative and landscape works done in a "cool, pared-down" style. Her early paintings were presented from a perspective inside the artist's ...
that was located at the WTC PATH station. Although it is not known what year the work was produced, it was destroyed in the attacks and never recovered.


See also

*
Artwork damaged or destroyed in the September 11 attacks An estimated $110 million of art was lost in the September 11 attacks: $100 million in private art and $10 million in public art. Much of the art was not insured for its full value. In October 2001, a spokesperson for insurance specialists AXA ...


References

{{World Trade Center Art in New York City Public art