Help with the 3D Preservation of a National Treasure

Support our Kickstarter to digitally preserve the 1964 World's Fair NY State Pavilion

by Justin Barton
May 12, 2014
CyArk has launched its first Kickstarter project for the 3D digital preservation of the 1964-65 World's Fair New York State Pavilion's Tent of Tomorrow and Astro-Towers. For those of you unfamiliar with Kickstarter, the platform allows members of the public choose projects of interest to them, pledge their support, and receive unique prizes based on their pledge level.


Please visit the site, pledge and help us spread the word!


The World's Fair Pavilion is a significant site at risk and by partnering with the University of Central Florida's Institute for Simulation and Training, we will be able to digitally preserve the site for only $15,000. But we need your help in reaching this goal before May 31st.

The 1964-65 World's Fair was the last of the Great Fairs to be held in the United States. The Tent of Tomorrow and its Astro-Towers embodied a fantastical vision of the future, were commissioned by Governor Nelson Rockefeller and designed by influential architect Philip Johnson. Sadly, the Pavilion has lost much of its former grandeur over the years. The colorful fiberglass panels from the Tent of Tomorrow were removed in the 1970's and time and weather have contributed to further deterioration. Debate now surrounds the future of the pavilion, whether it will be restored and reused, or whether it will be demolished. The importance of the site is validated by its inclusion on the World Monuments Fund Watch List and its recent status as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in honor of its 50th anniversary.

CyArk is on a mission to digitally preserve the pavilion before its too late. The data we capture will serve as a permanent archive of the structures and can be used in any future restoration efforts. The resulting data will also be made available to the public via our website. We have already been granted site access permissions from NY City Department of Parks and Recreation. Now we are calling on members of the public to help underwrite the cost of sending professors and staff into the field to document the structures. We have a goal of $15,000 to cover basic costs of field work and initial data processing.

I hope you will visit our World's Fair Project Kickstarter page and consider sharing it with your friends and family.
Help us digitally preserve the 1964 World's Fair NY State Pavilion.
The NY State Pavilion as it originally looked during the 1964-64 World's Fair.
The derelict NY State Pavilion as it stands today.