The Trylon and Perisphere were the centerpieces of the 1939/1940 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Standing at the center of the fair’s radial street grid (where the Unisphere is now), these sleek and modern structures were inspired by the Crystal Palace and Latting Observatory built for NYC’s very first World’s Fair in Manhattan in 1853 at the site of Bryant Park. Like those structures and most that were built for World’s Fairs, the Trylon and Perisphere were dismantled. Despite our loss of the buildings themselves, the image of the Trylon and Perisphere has endured and we see these symbols pop up throughout New York City, whether adorning the top of a building, on the ground beneath our feet, or even as a gravestone. Here, discover 5 places where the Trylon and Perisphere have been recreated!
Remnants of the World’s Fairs Tour
1. On Top of a Home in Queens
At the top corner of 55-22 108th Street, a brick apartment building in Queens, you’ll see a mini concrete replica of the Trylon and Perisphere. The year 1939 is etched into the rounded surface of the Perisphere shape. Though the building likely pre-dates the fair, these adornments were probably added in the excitement leading up to its opening.
