Philip Johnson‘s New York State Pavilion, located in Queens, was once part of the 1964 Worlds Fair. Now it is the only remaining structure from the event. Years of neglect has seen the pavilion fall into a state of disrepair. However, all does not appear to be lost thanks to The National Trust for Historic Preservation, People for the Pavilion, and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz. Together, they have organized an ideas competition in an attempt to bring the pavilion back to life.
The competition so far has received a number of submissions up for public vote. The current frontrunners are a hydroponic farm (essentially a farm that uses nutrient water instead of soil) and a flexible exhibition space. The former an ambitiously wants to demonstrate a process that could “feed cities into the next century” while the latter envisions an outdoor performance area and park.
In recent memory, the pavilion’s only claim to fame was its appearance in Iron Man 2 where it played host to the Stark Expo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bchp8boR0Dc
The pavilion’s appearance on screen however, has done little to bolster its circumstances, although a fresh coat of paint was added in fall last year. The New York State Pavilion Ideas Competition now hopes to “spark a conversation about the value of historic preservation,” citing Johnson’s work as an “irreplaceable structure” that is one of Queens’ “most significant assets.”
Submissions so far mostly depict colorful scenes that refer back to the pavilion’s original red and yellow coloring. These include the “Queens Pavilion Cheeseburger Museum,” “Trampoline Castle,” “The Funland of art” (that promises to be “the most fun your kids will ever have”), and the “Pavilion for the People.”
Others proposals include an observatory, ice-rink, and planetarium. There are few constraints on putting forward an idea. Participants must be over the age of 13 and submit an original idea complete with an image. A Sketchup model of the pavilion has been made available to download to aid contributors. The competition is also free to enter.
For now, the public has until July 1 to submit their ideas, with Deborah Berke, founding partner of Deborah Berke Partners and soon to be Dean of the Yale Architecture School and critic Paul Goldberger among others judging the submissions.
The jury will select first, second and third place, of which will receive $3,000, $1,000 and $500. The voting system however, will be used to select a “fan favorite” with the winner taking home $500.
