Downtown in Knoxville in Knox County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
The 1982 World's Fair Walking Tour
The Sunsphere
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, October 22, 2022
1. The 1982 World's Fair Walking Tour Marker
Inscription.
The 1982 World's Fair Walking Tour. The Sunsphere. The World's Fair's iconic theme structure is one of a kind. The Sunsphere was built to honor the exposition's energy theme as an homage to the original source of all energy on earth. It was designed by Community Tectonics, led by architect Hubert Bebb (1903-1984). Originally from Illinois, Bebb worked as a designer at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair but made his career in and around the Smoky Mountains he loved. He's especially known for the striking modernist Observation Tower at Clingman's Dome (1959). In 1982, the Sunsphere was touted as the most perfectly spherical building in the world. The sphere is 74 feet in diameter. Its glass panes are infused with gold dust, creating its sunlike golden color. The 4th Floor Observation Deck, operated by Visit Knoxville, is open to the public and offers breathtaking 360-degree views of the surrounding area. The Sunsphere has become the most distinctive feature of Knoxville's skyline, standing proudly aside the Eiffel Tower (1889) and the Seattle Space Needle (1962) as structures created specifically for world's fairs.
The World's Fair's iconic theme structure is one of a kind. The Sunsphere was built to honor the exposition's energy theme as an homage to the original source of all energy on earth. It was designed by Community Tectonics, led by architect Hubert Bebb (1903-1984). Originally from Illinois, Bebb worked as a designer at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair but made his career in and around the Smoky Mountains he loved. He's especially known for the striking modernist Observation Tower at Clingman's Dome (1959).
In 1982, the Sunsphere was touted as the most perfectly spherical building in the world. The sphere is 74 feet in diameter. Its glass panes are infused with gold dust, creating its sunlike golden color. The 4th Floor Observation Deck, operated by Visit Knoxville, is open to the public and offers breathtaking 360-degree views of the surrounding area. The Sunsphere has become the most distinctive feature of Knoxville's skyline, standing proudly aside the Eiffel Tower (1889) and the Seattle Space Needle (1962) as structures created specifically for world's fairs.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic
Location. 35° 57.702′ N, 83° 55.404′ W. Marker is in Knoxville, Tennessee, in Knox County. It is in Downtown. It can be reached from Clinch Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 810 Clinch Ave, Knoxville TN 37902, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in East Tennessee. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, October 22, 2022
3. The 1982 World's Fair Walking Tour Marker
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, October 22, 2022
4. The 1982 World's Fair Walking Tour Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 26, 2023, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 285 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 26, 2023, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
