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The Sphere
Originally the Celestial Sphere was created as a memorial for the founding father of the League of Nations, President Woodrow Wilson.
Few may realise that this huge - over four meter in diameter - sculpture is in fact about to collapse.
By its nature, the United Nations cannot raise funds for purposes beyond its statutory objectives. It cannot call on direct sponsorship and the UN can accept donations only within certain limits. As the United Nations has in fact no budget for the conservation of this part of its cultural heritage, other solutions are being sought after.
Maecenas World Patrimony Foundation (MWPF) is a good example of such a solution: after extensive judicial brain-storming a formula was found which the UN could approve of and which enabled MWPF to start off under the UN's mandate.
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The Celestial Sphere is the Swiss sign of hospitality to the world's only and unique institution to guarantee global stability: the United Nations.
The Celestial Sphere is the symbol of hope for the global community for a peaceful world under international law, set by the UN and underwritten by its Member States, including Switzerland.
As such the Celestial Sphere is in addition the symbol of the UN Headquarters in Europe, the largest and most active office of the UN worldwide, as well as the centre of the world's largest conglomerate of UN-related organisations, including among others WHO, WTO and UNHCR.
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The Celestial Sphere: the Geneva Landmark
The Celestial Sphere both for its size and importance, forms one of the major landmarks for the City of Geneva, for the Canton of Geneva and for the Swiss people nationwide. Not only the Celestial Sphere is the chef d'oeuvre of Paul Manship, one of the most renown artists of the "Art Deco"-period. In addition, the Celestial Sphere is placed at the most prominent place, the Cour d'Honneur, in the park of the Palais des Nations.
The celestial sphere measures 410 cm in diameter and weighs some 5,800 kg. The sphere was installed in its present location, the Palais des Nations in Geneva in August of 1939.
The sphere was motorized and, in the words of the artist, designed 'so that it would rotate slowly' and was intended to be illuminated at night.
The Celestial Sphere is the Swiss sign of hospitality to the world's only and unique institution to guarantee global stability: the United Nations.
The Celestial Sphere is the symbol of hope for the global community for a peaceful world under international law, set by the UN and underwritten by its Member States, including Switzerland. As such the Celestial Sphere is in addition the symbol of the UN Headquarters in Europe, the largest and most active office of the UN worldwide, as well as the centre of the world's largest conglomerate of UN-related organisations, including among others WHO, WTO and UNHCR.
The vast garden of the Palais des Nations contains a large collection of important sculptures. Especially the Celestial Sphere is loved for its human and multicultural image. Many visitors through a coin in the Sphere's pool for good luck and the wish to return. The coins are collected and donated to the UNHCR.
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The Problems
The sphere began to have significant problems as early as 1942.
The motor that caused the sphere to rotate slowly ceased to function in the early 1960's and was not used at all during 1940-1945. Attempts to repair this problem in the 1970's failed. While the original electric motor which turned the sphere is still in situ, it was buried under concrete, in the main, in 1974. The original drive shaft, which was external to the sphere, running alongside one of the lower meridian covers to the hub, was removed in 1983.
The lack of rotation has caused the sphere to weather very unevenly. This has stripped the gilding from most constellations and left an uneven surface on the remainder. Overall, the gilding has worn badly. This has exposed several colours of underlying 'bole'.
In short: the state of the sphere is critical.
The Rescue
A rescue-plan is imperative to stop further decay and prevent the danger of implosion, or (worst case scenario) plunging into the lake, right below. But by its nature, the United Nations cannot raise funds for purposes beyond its statutory objectives.
The Meacenas World Patrimony Foundation
The Maecenas World Patrimony Foundation (MWPF) was founded in 1998 at the
initiative of the Geelvinck Hinlopen Huis Foundation in Amsterdam with the purpose of supporting the conservation of the cultural heritage belonging to the offices of the United Nations and its agencies.
As a non-governmental organisation with a special relationship with the United Nations, MWPF carries out its fund-raising activities independent from but in close consultation with the UN.
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The MWPF carries out at its own expenses the necessary restoration and conservation of the artworks belonging to the UN and its agencies and subsequently makes it a gift to the United Nations.
As MWPF works for the UN and its artworks under special mandate, donations can be given to WMPF in order to carry out its tasks as agreed with the UN and its agencies.
Extensive research on the Sphere's condition has resulted into an inventory of how bad it is and what should be done.
This project is under the patronage of
the Permanent Mission of the Netherlands in Geneva
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