World Trade Center Plaza Sculpture
| Company type | Sculpture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Art, Sculpture |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Founder | Masayuki Nagare |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Abstract sculpture |
The World Trade Center Plaza Sculpture, often referred to as Cloud Fortress, was crafted in 1975 by the Japanese sculptor Masayuki Nagare. It was positioned at the Church Street entrance leading to Austin J. Tobin Plaza within the World Trade Center complex.
While the sculpture withstood the September 11 attacks, it was ultimately dismantled during the emergency operations aimed at clearing the area.
Design
Standing at a height of , with a width of and a depth of , Cloud Fortress was finished in 1975 and showcased an abstract design composed of two pyramids conjoined at their bases and angled upwards. The piece featured a steel and concrete core, clad in black Swedish granite.
Nagare applied his distinctive 'ware hada' method—meaning cracked skin or broken texture—to produce a striking contrast between smooth, polished surfaces and rough, textured areas.
History
The Port Authority designated up to 1% of the World Trade Center's construction funds for artistic installations, commissioning pieces through an advisory panel.
Completed in 1975, Cloud Fortress occupied a small plaza between buildings 4 and 5 of the World Trade Center, serving as a passageway from Church Street to Austin J. Tobin Plaza at the heart of the complex.
Although it remained intact immediately following the attacks and building collapses, the sculpture was removed several days later to allow emergency crews better access and to prepare the site for heavy equipment. Its fragments were cleared away along with other debris from Ground Zero.
In 2004, Nagare produced a scaled-down version called "Cloud Fortress Jr." ("雲の砦Jr."), which is exhibited at the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art.