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New York State Pavilion

1964 New York World's FairBuildings and structures completed in 1964Buildings and structures in Queens, New YorkBuildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in New York CityFlushing Meadows–Corona Park
Historic American Engineering Record in New York CityNational Register of Historic Places in Queens, New YorkNew York (state) mapsUse mdy dates from December 2020World's fair architecture in New York City
1964–1965 New York World's Fair New York State Pavilion 2
1964–1965 New York World's Fair New York State Pavilion 2

The New York State Pavilion is a historic world's fair pavilion at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Flushing, Queens, New York. It was designed in 1962 for the 1964 New York World's Fair by architects Philip Johnson and Richard Foster, with structural engineer Lev Zetlin.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article New York State Pavilion (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

New York State Pavilion
United Nations Avenue South, New York Queens

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N 40.744027777778 ° E -73.844416666667 °
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Queens Theater

United Nations Avenue South
11368 New York, Queens
New York, United States
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1964–1965 New York World's Fair New York State Pavilion 2
1964–1965 New York World's Fair New York State Pavilion 2
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Flushing Meadows–Corona Park
Flushing Meadows–Corona Park

Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, often referred to as Flushing Meadows Park, or simply Flushing Meadows, is a public park in the northern part of Queens, New York City. It is bounded by I-678 (Van Wyck Expressway) on the east, Grand Central Parkway on the west, Flushing Bay on the north, and Union Turnpike on the south. Flushing Meadows–Corona Park is the fourth-largest public park in New York City, with a total area of 897 acres (363 ha). Until the 19th century, the site consisted of wetlands straddling the Flushing River, which traverses the region from north to south. Starting in the first decade of the 20th century, it was used as a dumping ground for ashes, since at the time, the land was so far away from the developed parts of New York City as to be considered almost worthless. New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses first conceived the idea of developing a large park in Flushing Meadow in the 1920s as part of a system of parks across eastern Queens. Flushing Meadows–Corona Park was created as the site of the 1939 New York World's Fair and also hosted the 1964 New York World's Fair. Following the 1964 fair, the park fell into disrepair, although some improvements have taken place since the 1990s and 2000s. Flushing Meadows–Corona Park retains much of the layout from the 1939 World's Fair. Its attractions include the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the current venue for the US Open tennis tournament; Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets baseball team; the New York Hall of Science; the Queens Museum; the Queens Theatre in the Park; the Queens Zoo; the Unisphere; and the New York State Pavilion. It formerly contained Shea Stadium, demolished in 2009. The Flushing River continues to run through the park, and two large lakes called Meadow and Willow Lakes take up much of the park's area south of the Long Island Expressway. Flushing Meadows–Corona Park is owned and maintained by New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, also known as NYC Parks. Private, non-profit groups such as the Flushing Meadows–Corona Park Conservancy and the Alliance for Flushing Meadows–Corona Park provide additional funds, services, and support. The park is at the eastern edge of the area encompassed by Queens Community Board 4.

Unisphere
Unisphere

The Unisphere is a spherical stainless steel representation of the Earth in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in the New York City borough of Queens. The globe was designed by Gilmore D. Clarke as part of his plan for the 1964 New York World's Fair. Commissioned to celebrate the beginning of the space age, the Unisphere was conceived and constructed as the theme symbol of the World's Fair. The theme of the World's Fair was "Peace Through Understanding", and the Unisphere represented the theme of global interdependence, being dedicated to "Man's Achievements on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe". The Unisphere measures 140 feet (43 m) high and 120 feet (37 m) in diameter. It sits atop a 20-foot-tall (6.1 m) tripod base with over 500 steel pieces representing the continents, as well as three steel rings representing the first artificial satellites orbiting Earth. Around the Unisphere is a reflecting pool measuring 310 feet (94 m) in diameter. The base is surrounded by 48 pairs of fountainheads, which were intended to conceal the tripod supporting the globe. Clarke devised plans for the Unisphere while aboard an airplane in 1960. New York City parks commissioner Robert Moses, who had already rejected two plans for iconic structures at the 1964 Fair, approved Clarke's proposal in early 1961. After further refinements, the Unisphere was constructed by American Bridge Company, a division of U.S. Steel, from March to August 1963. Over 51 million people visited the Unisphere during the World's Fair, after which it became a permanent attraction of Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. In the 1970s, the Unisphere was not maintained and became visibly dirty; it was restored in the early 1990s. The Unisphere was made a New York City designated landmark in 1995 and, after another period of disrepair, it was restored in the early 2010s.

United States Pavilion
United States Pavilion

The United States Pavilion (also known as the U.S. Pavilion and Federal Pavilion) was a pavilion at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, United States. Themed to the "challenge to greatness", it was designed for the 1964 New York World's Fair by Leon Deller of the architectural firm Charles Luckman Associates. The building was a hollow square surrounding a garden court. Inside the building were two auditoriums, a dark ride–style attraction, several exhibit spaces, and a library. In addition, the pavilion had a hall of presidents during the 1965 season. The United States Pavilion was first proposed in January 1960, but the United States Congress did not provide an appropriation for the project for two years. The U.S. government hired Luckman for the project in 1962, and U.S. President John F. Kennedy attended the building's groundbreaking ceremony on December 14, 1962. It opened on April 23, 1964, and operated for two seasons of six months each, attracting five million visitors during its first season alone. The structure became part of Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in 1967, but it remained abandoned for several years due to a lack of upkeep. The building was extensively vandalized, and numerous attempts to renovate and restore the pavilion proved unsuccessful. The United States Department of Commerce (DOC) proposed demolishing the building in 1974; following protracted disputes, it was ultimately razed in 1977. Arthur Ashe Stadium was built on the pavilion's site in 1996. The structure was 84 feet (26 m) tall, standing upon four stilts, with a frontage of 330 feet (100 m) on each side. The structure had a translucent facade of multicolored plastic panels, and it was accessed by pyramidal staircases leading into the garden court. The exhibit spaces contained objects relating to American history and culture; they included the Challenge to Greatness, the Exhibit Hall of the Great Society, and two scientific-exhibit halls. The hall of presidents displayed artifacts from 13 U.S. presidents, while the library had study areas and numerous activities. The basement included a 600-seat theater that screened a short film, as well as a 200-seat multipurpose auditorium. Occupying the second floor was the American Journey ride, where visitors watched a short Cinerama film from slow-moving vehicles. Luckman's initial design for the pavilion was not well-received, but the final design and the exhibits themselves received positive reviews.