Lost Jewel: Tracking Down the Spanish Pavilion of the NY World’s Fair

LIVE ONLINE PROGRAM! TICKETS REQUIRED 
Please note that a recording of this program will not be available after the event.

The 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair was technically “illegal”, but in true NYC fashion, that illegitimacy bore many beloved icons. From the UniRoyal “Giant Tire” ferris wheel to the Belgian Village, America was introduced to gimmicks galore and immersed in oceans of advertising, but saw little architecture–with one key exception.

Francisco Franco (dictator and, apparently, fair fan) crossed barriers and spared no expense in promoting a full sensory experience of Spain to New Yorkers.  Deemed the “Jewel of the Fair”, the Spanish Pavilion by architect Javier Carvajal served a multifaceted role then and leads us on a fascinating, twisting hunt now. What happened to the “Jewel” after the gates closed and time marched on?

LW’s Executive Director Sean Khorsandi and Michael Grogan, incoming President of AIA Kansas, bring us a cautionary tale of heady promotion, dictatorial control, ethnic immersion, New York history, and of course, preservation.

This lecture is an adaptation of research first presented at the Society of Architectural Historians by:

Sean Khorsandi, Executive Director of Landmark West

Michael Grogan, Assistant Professor, College of AP Design at Kansas State University and AIA Kansas President-Elect











When: Wed., May. 13, 2020 at 11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Where: Landmark West!
45 W. 67th St.
212-496-8110
Price: $10
Buy tickets/get more info now
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LIVE ONLINE PROGRAM! TICKETS REQUIRED 
Please note that a recording of this program will not be available after the event.

The 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair was technically “illegal”, but in true NYC fashion, that illegitimacy bore many beloved icons. From the UniRoyal “Giant Tire” ferris wheel to the Belgian Village, America was introduced to gimmicks galore and immersed in oceans of advertising, but saw little architecture–with one key exception.

Francisco Franco (dictator and, apparently, fair fan) crossed barriers and spared no expense in promoting a full sensory experience of Spain to New Yorkers.  Deemed the “Jewel of the Fair”, the Spanish Pavilion by architect Javier Carvajal served a multifaceted role then and leads us on a fascinating, twisting hunt now. What happened to the “Jewel” after the gates closed and time marched on?

LW’s Executive Director Sean Khorsandi and Michael Grogan, incoming President of AIA Kansas, bring us a cautionary tale of heady promotion, dictatorial control, ethnic immersion, New York history, and of course, preservation.

This lecture is an adaptation of research first presented at the Society of Architectural Historians by:

Sean Khorsandi, Executive Director of Landmark West

Michael Grogan, Assistant Professor, College of AP Design at Kansas State University and AIA Kansas President-Elect

Buy tickets/get more info now