The Coney Island Globe Tower

Advert for the Coney Island Globe Tower, proposed in 1906 as a massive complex of entertainment and leisure. The project attracted lots of attention, but it was a fake proposal, and allegedly, the creators never intended on building it.

Pictured above is the Coney Island Globe Tower, proposed in 1906 by Samuel Friede for a lot at the corner of Steeplechase Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn. The building features an enormous sphere built of latticed steel, similar in style to the Eiffel Tower. It was designed as an entertainment and leisure complex, and it was marketed as the second tallest building in the world, behind the aforementioned Eiffel Tower.

The globe itself was divided into eleven floors, each with a distinct use. Beginning at the bottom, the lowest level contained various entertainment functions, such as a bowling alley, slot machines, a roller skating rink and a roof garden. The next level, at 250 feet, housed a hippodrome with seating for 5,000 spectators. This aerial arena would have continuous entertainment and included a miniature railroad that ran along the perimeter. The main level, at 300 feet, contained a massive ballroom and a revolving restaurant. Next up, at the globe’s equator, was a hotel floor, allowing guests to spend the night. Above the hotel, at 350 feet, was a massive aerial palm garden, complete with an upscale restaurant. Last up, at 500 feet, was the highest public level, which included an observatory, which would’ve been the tallest in the city.

The Globe was an entertainment mecca, and Friede used verticality to stratify the levels of society by stacking uses on top of one another; the most expensive of which were at or near the top. Put all this together, and you have a wildly interesting proposal. The most intriguing part of all this, however, is that the project was a fraud.

Advert for the Coney Island Globe Tower’s original design, proposed in 1906 as a massive complex of entertainment and leisure. The original design had a more robust structure, and no cantilevering around the globe.

The inventors of the Globe Tower never intended to actually build it. Their plan was to build interest and get lots of people to invest in it, then steal their money. The main strategy for doing this was through verticality. The bulk of the marketing efforts were based on height, and the plan was twofold. First, the tower was marketed as the second tallest building in the world. Pictured below is an illustration that appeared in the New York Tribune with the headline New York Will Soon Have the Highest Structure but one Ever Raised by Man.[1] The Globe is shown in a height lineup, directly behind the Eiffel Tower. It’s telling that the French structure is so prominent in the Globe’s marketing, as if the inventors were trying to siphon some of its allure to further entice investors. After all, who wouldn’t want to own part of the world’s second tallest building?

Second, the tower’s main function was to lift its program high above the ground, thus giving it a sense of importance. The globe would’ve towered over its surroundings, giving its users spectacular views of the city and the ocean. It also would’ve made a landmark out of Coney Island, because of it’s high visibility and low surrounding context.

Height lineup illustration featuring the Coney Island Globe Tower, pictured behind the Eiffel Tower, which would’ve been the only building in the world taller than it. Original illustration from the New-York Tribune in 1907.[1]

The Coney Island Globe Tower is an oft-forgotten piece of architectural history, most likely because it was never intended to be built. It’s a wild story though, and the tower’s fanciful design was nothing if not ambitious. Combine this with Friede’s use of verticality in the marketing materials, and it was a magnet for investors.

Check out other unbuilt designs here.


[1]: “New York Will Soon Have the Highest Structure but one Ever Raised by Man.” New-York Tribune, January 20, 1907.