NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
Address:
The Arsenal
Central Park
830 Fifth Ave
New York, New York 10065
Clients:
Rogers Marvel Architects
145 Hudson Street
New York, New York 10013
Project Size:
140 feet and weighing 700,000 poundsConstruction Cost:
$2 Million
The Unisphere, commissioned to celebrate the beginning of the space age, was conceived and constructed as the Theme Symbol of the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair. The theme of the World’s Fair was “Peace Through Understanding” and the Unisphere represented the theme of global interdependence. It was dedicated to “Man’s Achievements on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe”. Designed by landscape architect Gilmore D. Clarke, the Unisphere was donated by the United States Steel Corporation and constructed by the American Bridge Company. It is the world’s largest global structure, rising 140 feet and weighing 700,000 pounds. After about 20 years of disrepair, the Unisphere’s fountain reopened on August 12, 2010, after a $2 million restoration of its pumps, valves and paintwork.
The fountain’s circulation and display systems had deteriorated to a point which justified complete replacement of the infrastructure. Although one of the display fountains was still marginally functional and was used annually during the USTA Open, the circulation and filtration system had deteriorated beyond use and the budget did not allow for such a grand project. After much study and careful evaluation of the options and associated costs, Collado Engineering devised a way to abandon the existing filtration system infrastructure, and by reversing the flow in part of the display system, re- introduce filtration and chlorination to the fountain. Collado Engineering was also responsible for devising a more effective screening method to deal with the huge amount of foreign materials that find their way into the pool that contributed to the system’s failure in the past. In addition, by deciding to rebuild rather than replace the two 7,500 gallons per minute pumps, Collado Engineering was able to keep and reuse the pump room piping, generating significant savings for the project.