Some Lesser Known World's Fair Architectural Achievements

My latest article in the official Expo 2012 blog is now up!

Click here.

The World's Fair Podcast, Episode 20: Listener Questions

In episode 20 of the World's Fair Podcast, Urso and John respond to listener questions, including some very philosophical questions about the sustainability of expo, what makes a "successful" world's fair, and the importance of site planning, architecture and design.

Listen to this podcast as an MP3.

Subscribe to this podcast.

Listen to other episodes of the World's Fair Podcast.

The World's Fair Podcast, Episode 11: Architect James Maccormick MBE

In episode 11, we talk with James Maccormick MBE, architect of the Australia Pavilions at Montreal's Expo 67, Osaka's Expo 70, and Spokane's Expo 74, and one of the forces behind the creation of Brisbane's Expo 88.

1967:
Australia at Expo 67 on Foundation Expo 88
Expo 67 on ExpoMuseum

1970:
Expo 70 on ExpoMuseum

1974:
Expo 74 on ExpoMuseum

1988:
Foundation Expo 88
Expo 88 on ExpoMuseum

Listen to this podcast.

Subscribe to this podcast.

The Lure of Towers at World's Fairs

In my early days as a student of world's fairs, I was fascinated by the towers created at world's fairs. As a child, tall structures really have a greater power than perhaps they do as an adult. In architecture school, an interest in skyscrapers over more "artsy" buildings is looked down upon by many professors.

In the most recent expos, there haven't been as much a reliance on tall towers as a draw, but I think they were disfavored in more recent decades as being distractions from the more serious nature of world's fairs and can take away from the theme's goals.

I think they still have a power outside their own physical existence. 1889's Eiffel Tower, 1962's Space Needle, and even 1982's Sunsphere have a draw. San Antonio's Tower of the Americas from Hemisfair '68 just reopened with great fanfare.

I think the towers can provide a certain level of initial excitement about an exposition. It acts as an exclamation point to send the message that what's going on underneath is important.

For that reason, I was happy to hear that Expo 2010 will have a tower. Theirs will have, if you'll pardon the expression, a twist. They're using an existing chimney on the site to create an observation tower. To get to the top, visitors will ride roller-coaster-style cars.



By reusing the tower, they can illustrate the benefits of reusing existing structures instead of tearing them down to rebuild, thus fitting with the environmental aspects of the "Better City, Better Life" theme.

I know I can't wait to go up it in two years. I just wonder what the ride back down will be like!