Sunsphere

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Sunsphere
Information
Location Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Status Complete
Constructed 1982
Use Observation tower, restaurant
Height
Roof 81.07 m (266 ft)
Companies
Architect Community Tectonics
Structural Engineer Rentenbach
Services Engineer Rentenbach

The Sunsphere is an 81.07 m (266-foot) high hexagonal steel truss structure, topped with a 23m (74-foot) bronze glass-plated sphere. It is the most distinctive structure on the Knoxville, Tennessee skyline.

Designed by the Knoxville architectural firm Community Tectonics, the Sunsphere was created as the theme structure for the 1982 World's Fair. It was noted for its unique design in several engineering publications. Today, most of the World's Fair site is a public park and a convention center, but the Sunsphere itself shows no sign of going away.

In its original design, the sphere portion was to have had a diameter of 86.5 feet to symbolically represent the 865,000-mile diameter sun. The tower's window glass panels are layered in 24-karat gold dust and cut to seven different shapes. It weighs 600 tons and features six double steel truss columns in supporting the seven story sphere. The tower has a volume of 203,689 cubic feet and a surface of 16,742 square feet.

During the fair it cost $2 to take the elevator to its observation deck. The tower served as a restaurant and featured items such as the Sunburger and a drink called the Sunburst. It was then was painted blue but has since been repainted forest green.
In the early morning hours on May 12, 1982, a shot was fired from outside the fair site and shattered one of the sphere's windows.

The Sunsphere has been used as a symbol for Knoxville, appearing in postcards and logos. Between 1993 and 1999, the Sunsphere was featured in part on the logo for the Knoxville Smokies minor league baseball club. The 2002 AAU Junior Olympics mascot Spherit took its inspiration from the landmark and it featured red hair and a body shaped like the Sunsphere. In October 1987, the sphere was illuminated to represent a huge jack-o-lantern. On Sunday, May 15, 2000, nuclear weapons protesters scaled the tower and hung a large banner that said "Stop the Bombs." They remained on the tower for three days before surrendering to police on Tuesday, May 17, 2000.

As a result of migrating American starlings leaving too much guano on the towers frame, in 2003, the Knoxville Public Buildings Authority purchased from Avian Systems Corporation a device that emits various noises to scare the birds away from the tower.

A similarly designed tower by architect Marc Cardoso called the Tower of Power was rejected by fair planners in 1977.[citation needed]

To most residents the Sunsphere is seen as an iconic symbol of the city of Knoxville, but to some it is more frequently "appreciated" for its eccentricity and uselessness than its unique design[attribution needed]. University of Tennessee students (adjacent to the site) have occasionally held competitions for "alternate uses" of the Sunsphere.

Contents

[edit] Redevelopment

Although the Sunsphere is the most recognized feature of the Knoxville cityscape, it has remained vacant for most of its post-fair life, being used however from 1992 to 1997 as the Knoxville Welcome Center. Various proposals have been submitted to the city from time-to-time for its redevelopment. Many argue its relevancy as a tall structure, because it was built in one of the lowest parts of the city.

[edit] 1991

In March 1991 officials from the Pensacola Tornados of the Continental Basketball Association were looking at Knoxville for possible location and said of the Sunsphere as potential office space, "What better place for basketball offices than a giant gold basketball in the sky."

[edit] 1994

A pair of failed proposals was presented to the World's Fair Park Development Committee on March 31, 1994, that sought to reopen the Sunsphere as a restaurant (similar to Dallas' Reunion Tower, which features a restaurant at the top of the tower). These proposals included:

  • The proposal from CEB Enterprises would have opened a casual dining restaurant called World's Fare Restaurant.
  • The proposal from Cierra Restaurant Group would have opened a fine dining restaurant.

[edit] 1999

The Sunsphere is proposed to be included as part of the newly constructed Knoxville Convention Center, but those plans never fully materialized. Instead, during construction of the Knoxville Convention Center, it served as the contractors office for parties involved in the construction of the center.

[edit] 2005

Kinsey Probasco & Associates of Chattanooga propose reopening the tower complete with a renovated restaurant, snack bar, office space and a public observation deck.

[edit] Sunsphere in popular culture

A March 1996 episode of The Simpsons, 3F17 (Bart on the Road), features the Sunsphere. As they arrive at the World's Fair site, the sign reads "WOD'S FIR", as if the sign were deteriorating. Nelson, the series' bully, accidentally topples the object (which, in The Simpsons' universe, has become a center for wig outlets) during the episode, which pays ironic tribute to the 1982 World's Fair. There is some speculation that the wig shop angle was inspired by J's Mega Mart, a nearby emporium notable for its selection of Korean snack food and a large stock of wigs.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • Hullander, Douglas. (March 6, 2006) "Monumental stats; Ever Wonder?; From the Sunsphere to Sharps Ridge, some facts and figures about our local landmarks." Knoxville News-Sentinel.
  • Hayes, Hickman. (January 26, 2005) "Park Pitches; Four finalists present plans to renovate World's Fair properties." Knoxville News-Sentinel.
  • Higgins, M. Trevor. (December 30, 2003) "Hootin', honkin' Sunsphere." Knoxville News-Sentinel.
  • News Briefs. (May 17, 2000) "Bomb protesters surrender." Knoxville News-Sentinel.
  • Balloch, Jim.(January 21, 1999) "Future of Sunsphere is up in air; Empty now, it may become function of convention center." Knoxville News-Sentinel.
  • Dean, Jacquelyn B. (April 1, 1994) "Restaurant groups envision Sunsphere for 'high dining'." Knoxville News-Sentinel.
  • Hyams, Jimmy. (March 17, 1991) "CBA team executives to pay visit." Knoxville News-Sentinel.
  • Staff writers. (November 1, 1984) "World's Fair designers cleared of copying plans." Engineering News-Record.
  • Staff reports. (May 13, 1982) "Fair Structure Damaged." The Washington Post.

[edit] External links

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