What does Knoxville, Tennessee, have in common with Oporto, Portugal? Or Brussels or Montreal, for that matter? How about Paris and London and New York City? There’s a link between this small city and a number of major cities across the world — from Sydney, Australia to Milan, Italy to Osaka, Japan. The answer is that all of these cities at one time were the site for the World’s Fair. Knoxville had its turn in 1982, twenty-eight years ago, while the others had that same spotlight in the following years, respectively: 1865, 1958, 1967, 1867, 1862, 1939, 1879, 1881, and 1970.
Nearly thirty years ago, Knoxville welcomed guests from May to October, taking in eleven million travelers, representing nations as diverse as Canada and China, Denmark and Egypt, Korea and Luxembourg. And, as with any city honored with hosting the World’s Fair, Knoxville has its own signature building from that period, much the same way that Seattle has its Space Needle — in this case, the Knoxville Sunsphere, which is a two hundred and sixty six foot tall glass and gold ball, containing twenty-six stories (although it actually only has eight levels).
If you find yourself in Tennessee, relaxing in one of the hotels Knoxville offers, you’re sure to see this symbol of the city, considering that its glass panels are contain 24-karat gold dust, and weighs six hundred tons. During the Fair, it would cost two dollars to ride up to the observation deck and a restaurant where you might find a Sunburger or a Sunburst, a rum and fruit juice cocktail. Much of the time since the Fair, the Sunsphere has been used sporadically; in 2007, just three years ago, Level 4 was opened to the public to allow a spectacular view of Knoxville. The iconic Sunsphere has been used for everything from office spaces for a magazine to a place to get married on Level 8 (the Mountain View Observation Level).
Each World’s Fair City appears to have its own special structure, from the first exhibition in London’s Hyde Park and the Crystal Palace to the Space Needle and Sunsphere. The next World’s Fair this year (2010) will be held in Shanghai, China. It should be interesting to see what architectural wonder will be developed next.
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