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New York

Winning design reimagines World’s Fair site in Flushing as giant greenhouse bubble

Seattle architects took top spot in international competition over NY State Pavilion

Architects from Seattle have reimagined a World’s Fair icon as a bubble that emerges from a giant spiky wand — i.e. the New York State Pavilion.

Two architects — Sarah Wan and Aidan Doyle — have won an international competition to reimagine the decaying pavilion, the Wall Street Journal reported. Their design, “Hanging Meadow,” shows a lush garden atop the famous circular structure in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, which was designed by Philip Johnson for the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair. The new design has a similar greenhouse vibe as Montreal’s Biosphere, but mimics the shape of a bubble that has not quite detached from its wand.

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Wan and Doyle received $3,000 for the design, but it won’t actually be used.

The competition, held by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, was intended to get people excited about the prospect of restoring the pavilion. Actually renovating the pavilion will be an entirely different beast.

The city’s Department of Parks and Recreation estimates that renovating the structure would cost north of $52 million, and the city has only set aside $12.9 million. [WSJ] — Kathryn Brenzel