 |
| Painting of the New York State Pavilion of the 1964 World's Fair by Artist Doug LeBlang of Forest Hills, NY, December 2013: http://dougleblangartist.com |
Remember when New Yorkers rallied with “Save Penn
Station” signs, only to witness each strike of the wrecking ball? How about
when other monumental buildings such as Grand Central Terminal and Carnegie
Hall were on the brink of demolition, until the heroic acts of Jacqueline
Kennedy Onassis and Isaac Stern respectively proved otherwise? It is difficult
to grasp how sites, once applauded for their architectural and cultural
distinction are all too often neglected, abandoned, and demolished.
Now a debate is
unfolding, to determine whether the New York State Pavilion, a symbol of the
1964 – 1965 NY World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Corona Park should be restored
for a new use at $72 million, be stabilized as a ruin for $43 million, or
undergo demolition for $14 million.
As the Fair
approaches its 50th anniversary in 2014, the NYS Pavilion is largely
fenced off from the public and plagued with rust, algae, weeds, and occasional
graffiti. Situated at the geographical center of Queens,
its potential exceeds a relic earning a glance from the Grand Central Parkway.
Meet 28
year-old Matthew Silva, a technology and video production teacher of East Northport, who founded the nearly 1,700 member
Facebook group, “People For The New York State Pavilion.” The group’s mission
is “To share thoughts and images of and about the NYS Pavilion, and to
establish a community of activism for the effort of making it a usable and
thriving space for New York.”
 |
| Documentary Producer & Founder of People For The Pavilion, Matthew Silva (on left), Photo courtesy of Mitch Silverstein |
The NYS
Pavilion, an experimental-spirited Modernist creation of reinforced concrete
and steel by the famed 20th century architect Philip Johnson,
consists of the Tent of Tomorrow, three Observation Towers,
and Theaterama (now the Queens Theatre). “It is the Eiffel Tower of Queens, and
it wouldn’t feel like Queens if you drove on the Grand Central Parkway and
didn’t see those towers in Flushing
Meadows Park,”
said Silva.
 |
| May the sun shine again at the Tent of Tomorrow, December 2013 Photo by Michael Perlman |
 |
| Flushing Meadows witnessed over 51.6 million visitors during the 1964 World's Fair & the NYS Pavilion was its symbol. Now the site has a "Do Not Enter" feel due to political inactivity. Let's reverse that! December 2013 Photo by Michael Perlman |
The Fair’s theme
was “Peace Through Understanding,” evident in the landmarked Unisphere and
pavilions which rejoiced international culture and innovative American products
of electronics, livelihood, and transportation. The master builder was Robert
Moses, 58 countries were represented, and 51,607,307 visitors were recorded.
Silva would
occasionally pass the NYS Pavilion as a child, and wondered about its use. Two
years ago, he assigned the 1964 World’s Fair to his 8th grade
students. “I gave them the challenge of re-purposing the NYS Pavilion. We
studied Penn Station’s demolition and how the High Line was almost demolished,
but turned into a brilliant park.” That was also when he created his Facebook
group.
To tell his
story, he began producing a NYS Pavilion documentary in February 2013. “When I
saw the NYS Pavilion in the sunset en route to a show in Manhattan, I said this has an opportunity to
be a destination, rather than a shadow in the sky which you pass at night.”
Today, the
Towers’ futuristic elevators have been stripped. In addition, the colorful
fiberglass panels on the Tent of Tomorrow’s largest suspension roof in the
world have been cracked and removed. The famed 130 ft x 166 ft terrazzo Texaco
road map has extensively corroded, and in 2008, the University of Pennsylvania
School of Design Graduate Program in Historic Preservation began removing 13
surviving terrazzo panels out of 567 for restoration.
 |
| So much for predictions... The Tent of Tomorrow barred from public eye, December 2013, Photo by Michael Perlman |
Very
appropriately, “Modern Ruin” is the working title of Silva’s 70 to 90 minute
documentary, which will feature interviews with Fairgoers, locals, architects,
critics, authors, a woman who operated the Tent of Tomorrow as a roller skating
rink, and people who attended concerts at the site. He hinted about unreleased
archival material, such as photos of the Tent of Tomorrow’s terrazzo Texaco
road map being produced in the factory. The documentary’s trailer will be
released this week.
Over the course
of his outreach, he discovered his ambition to advocate for the site’s
preservation and reuse. “Philip Johnson was such an advocate for the arts and
architecture, so as New Yorkers, we need to reciprocate that affection and
advocate for his work.”
The site was
listed on the State & National Register of Historic Places in 2009, which could open
the door for restoration-based funding, but since it has not been designated a
city landmark, the site is not barred from demolition.
The site’s
potential is diverse, and can be a boon to jobs, tourism, education,
recreation, and Queens and international history. “Let’s try to imagine a time
when the NYS Pavilion will be lit up and host events. People can see a show,
attend a wedding, meet friends, and see views of all boroughs from the Towers,”
said Silva.
As a team
player who is turning “People For The Pavilion” into a 501c3, Silva maintains
faith in the Pavilion’s future. “It would be a real tragedy if the Pavilion
stood for 50 years, only to be demolished. When it’s re-purposed, people may
wonder how they ever lived without it, just how they feel about the High Line.”
“The story will
be about a small group of people who rallied to turn it into one of the greatest
thriving icons of Queens,” he said. First, the
group plans on organizing an ideas competition in 2014, and will be extending
outreach to universities, architectural firms, and preservation organizations.
 |
| The neglected state of the NYS Pavilion's Tent of Tomorrow, December 2013, Photo by Michael Perlman |
 |
| The neglected state of the NYS Pavilion's observation towers, December 2013, Photo by Michael Perlman |
 |
| Decades-worth of our city officials rusty actions results in a rusty NYS Pavilion, December 2013, Photo by Michael Perlman |
 |
| Nature peeks through the Tent of Tomorrow, symbolizing fruitful opportunities ahead, December 2013, Photo by Michael Perlman |
Posts
