New York State Pavilion, USA

Beckoning the future at the New York World's Fair

CyArk

CyArk

Unisphere at the New York State Pavilion (2014-06) by CyArkCyArk

Expedition Overview

In 2014, CyArk documented the New York State Pavilion, one of few remaining structures from the 1964-65 World’s Fair. Included on the World Monument Fund’s 2008 list of most endangered sites, CyArk partnered with the University of Central Florida, and Langan Engineering to digitally document and archive the structure. CyArk used laser technology (LiDAR) and photogrammetry to record the present condition of the pavilion.

Tent of Tomorrow preserved at the New York State Pavilion (2014-06) by CyArkCyArk

Introducing the New York State Pavilion 

The structural skeleton of the New York State Pavilion’s “Tent of Tomorrow” echoes a world on the cusp of technological innovation. Designed by architect, Philip Johnson, three futuristic towers sit next to the circular tent-like structure, held up by sixteen columns and a massive circular steel frame. In 1964, the cables on the steel frame supported translucent fiberglass panels where people gathered to watch and listen to live shows under a warm expanse of multi-colored light. In addition to its technological construction, the site was a catalyst for other kinds of innovation, including work by renowned artists Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg. Today, the "Tent of Tomorrow" is part of the NYC park system and immersed in ongoing discussions of how to preserve the city's forward-thinking past for future generations. 

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View of the New York State Pavilion outside the 1964 New York World Fair's "Tent of Tomorrow."

Towers at the New York State Pavilion (2014-06) by CyArkCyArk

Observation Towers

The tallest of the observation towers at the pavilion became the highest structure at the World’s Fair. For 50 cents, visitors could take a ride on the tower’s elevator and on a clear day see New Jersey, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Digital render of the New York State Pavilion (2014) by CyArkCyArk

LiDAR (laser scan data) render of New York State Pavilion documentation.

Open Heritage 3D by CyArkCyArk

Data from this project is now freely available through Open Heritage 3D.

Download the data from this project.


About Open Heritage 3D



The mission of the Open Heritage 3D project is to:

● Provide open access to 3D cultural heritage datasets for education, research and other
non-commercial uses.

● Minimize the technical, financial and legal barriers for publishers of 3D heritage data.

● Promote discovery and re-use of datasets through standardized metadata and data formats.

● Foster community collaboration and knowledge sharing in the 3D cultural heritage community.

● Share best practices and methodologies for the capture, processing and storage of 3D cultural heritage data

Credits: Story

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This project was made possible with the following partners:

University of Central Florida

New York City Department of Parks & Recreation

Langan Engineering & Environmental Services

Queens Museum

People for the Pavillion

Faro

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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