1964 New York World's Fair pavilions
The 1964 New York World's Fair took place at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York, United States, during 1964 and 1965. The fair included 139 pavilions with exhibits by 80 nations, 24 U.S. states, and 350 corporations. The exhibits were split across five regions—the Federal and State, International, Transportation, Amusement, and Industrial areas—which in turn were centered around the Unisphere.
The New York World's Fair 1964 Corporation (WFC) oversaw the 1964 fair and leased out the land to exhibitors, who developed their own pavilions. The different sections were designed in various architectural styles. Anyone could rent exhibition space as long as they could afford to rent the land and pay for their pavilion, though U.S. state pavilions could rent land for free. Many nations from Asia, Africa, and Central and South America, though relatively few from Europe, exhibited at the fair. The fairground also hosted many large corporations, in addition to eight religious pavilions, a fraternal order pavilion, and other exhibits. After the fair, some pavilions were preserved or relocated, but the vast majority of structures were demolished.
Background[edit]
Fair[edit]
The New York World's Fair 1964 Corporation (WFC) was formed in 1959 to organize a world's fair in New York City during 1964.[1] The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) refused to formally approve the 1964 New York World's Fair, despite advocacy from WFC president Robert Moses.[2][3] Moses wanted to save the WFC money by having exhibitors erect most of their own pavilions.[4][5] Nearly all buildings were to be temporary structures.[6][7] Exhibitors designed their own pavilions, and the construction contractors hired members of local labor unions to build the structures.[8] William Everett Potter, who was hired to organize the exhibits,[9] predicted that the pavilions would use relatively novel construction methods such as structural plastics, thin-shell structures, and prestressed concrete.[10] Construction of the first building began in 1960.[11] The World's Fair officially opened on April 22, 1964,[12][13] and its first season ended on October 18, 1964.[14] The fair reopened for a second and final season on April 21, 1965,[15] closing on October 18, 1965.[16]
The fairground was divided into five regions,[17] centered around the Unisphere, a representation of the Earth constructed by American Bridge Company.[18][19] Exhibits for individual U.S. states and the U.S. federal government were concentrated in the Federal & State Area at the center of the fairground near the Unisphere.[2][20] The international exhibits were concentrated in the International Area—a group of pavilions surrounding the Unisphere.[21] Industry pavilions were concentrated around the Industrial Area on the eastern end near the Van Wyck Expressway.[17][22] The Transportation Area was on the western side of the fairground.[17] South of the Long Island Expressway, connected with the rest of the fair only via one overpass, was the Lake Amusement Area.[23][17][22] The 1964 World's Fair had 139 pavilions and 34 other attractions on its opening day.[24][a] Either 121[24][28] or 124 pavilions and attractions were free; the rest required an additional payment.[29] The last pavilion to be completed was the Belgian Village, which was not finished until the end of the 1964 season.[30][31]
No new pavilions were planned for the 1965 season because it would be costly and time-consuming to add any such pavilions.[32][33] Between the 1964 and 1965 seasons, several exhibitors renovated and modified their pavilions.[30][34] At least fifty exhibits were upgraded,[35] and five major attractions were added.[36] Some exhibitors increased the capacity of their attractions,[30] while other pavilions received new exhibits or interior renovations.[37] The Florida pavilion took over much of the Lake Amusement Area,[38][39] which became known as the Lake Area.[34][39]
Unbuilt and unopened pavilions[edit]
The World's Fair originally was supposed to contain a five-story World of Food pavilion,[333] which was dismantled shortly before the fair opened.[334] WFC officials wanted the World of Food pavilion demolished because it was located near the fair's main entrance and would not be completed in time for the fair's opening.[335] The American Indian pavilion, which would have contained five structures, was never completed.[336] The Argentine pavilion was completed but was never used as such.[325] At the western end of the fairground, land had been reserved for an "aerospace island".[337] The WFC had also considered a pavilion for fashion firms,[338] though fashion shows were ultimately split between the New York State Pavilion and Better Living Center.[339] Other pavilions were canceled by the WFC, including an art pavilion[340][341] and an exhibit for the People's Republic of China.[342] Some foreign exhibitors were rejected in late 1963 because there was not enough time to develop their pavilions.[343]
The Soviet Union (along with its 15 Soviet republics[344]) and Israel were supposed to have operated exhibits as well.[345] The Soviet Union withdrew after a spat regarding the United States' participation in two Soviet world's fairs,[345][346] and it refused to join for the 1965 season.[347] Israel withdrew after its government decided to reallocate funds away from the planned Israeli pavilion.[107] Several BIE members, including Canada, France, and the Netherlands, canceled plans for official pavilions at the 1964 fair after the BIE approved Expo 67 in Montreal, Quebec.[348] A privately sponsored French pavilion, which was supposed to have contained three structures,[349] was partially built and then canceled.[115][350] Some of these nonexistent exhibits were displayed on official maps, causing confusion among visitors.[351]
Reception[edit]
There was commentary on the pavilions' conflicting architectural styles.[426][427] Ada Louise Huxtable of The New York Times wrote that the fair was architecturally "grotesque",[426][428] while other critics lambasted the structures as befitting Coney Island or a street fair.[429] The critic Vincent Scully Jr. derided the fair in a Life magazine article, "If This Is Architecture, God Help Us".[426][427] Conversely, Time magazine wrote in June 1964 that the fair had "grace and substance" despite the presence of some "tacky" attractions,[429][430] a sentiment repeated in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.[431] The American Institute of Architects gave awards to several pavilions for "excellence in design".[432] A Newsday reporter described the fair as "both garish and subtle, tawdry and tasteful, ephemeral and lasting".[433] After the fair closed, architectural critic Wolf Von Eckardt lambasted the fair as "a frightening image of ourselves" because of its "chaotic" architecture.[434][435]