1964 WORLD'S FAIR
The Space Age died in the mid-1960s. In many ways, the 1964 New York World's Fair was the symbolic last gasp for Space Age architecture and design. In the U.S. Space Park, America displayed its aerospace superiority. Nearby, performers in neon jumpsuits and "atomic hats" explained the miracles of molecules through song and dance. Corporate pavilions vied to be the most futuristic.
The focal point for the fair was the Unisphere, a large sculpture (pictured above) that showed the earth with orbit-like bands surrounding it. The Unisphere was one of the last and one of the largest icons of the googie style. The following are a few examples of the Space Age look and feel of the 1964 World's Fair.
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Seimons Pavilion The cantilevered wave-shaped roof seems to hover above the vast expanses of glass. Wave-shapes are common in googie architecture, expressing scientific principles through design much like the atomic symbol. |
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Monorail The monorail station at the fair included a domed central building fronted by a giant boomerang/amoebae hybrid. |
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New York Port Authority Suspended like a boxy spacecraft on stilts, the pavilion for the New York Port Authority. |
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General Motors' Futurama General Motors continued its tradition of provided fairgoers with a view of the future. Inside this extraterrestrial-looking building (left) were models of futuristic cities on land, under the sea (right) and in space. |
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All images on this page came from postcards
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