World's fair
A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations.[1] These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a period of time, typically between three and six months.[1]
The term "world's fair" is commonly used in the United States,[2] while the French term, Exposition universelle ("universal exhibition"[3]) is used in most of Europe and Asia; other terms include World Expo or Specialised Expo, with the word expo used for various types of exhibitions since at least 1958.
Since the adoption of the 1928 Convention Relating to International Exhibitions, the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions has served as an international sanctioning body for international exhibitions; four types of international exhibition are organised under its auspices: World Expos, Specialised Expos, Horticultural Expos (regulated by the International Association of Horticultural Producers), and the Milan Triennial.
Astana, Kazakhstan, held the most recent Specialised Expo in 2017 while Dubai, United Arab Emirates, hosted World Expo in 2020 (which was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) and Doha, Qatar hosted Horticultural Expo in 2023.[4]
History
In 1791, Prague organized the first World's Fair in Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic).[5][6][7] The first industrial exhibition was on the occasion of the coronation of Leopold II as a king of Bohemia, which took place in Clementinum, and celebrated the considerable sophistication of manufacturing methods in the Czech lands during that time period.[8]
France had a
The character of world fairs, or expositions, has evolved since the first one in 1851. Three eras can be distinguished: the era of industrialization, the era of cultural exchange, and the era of nation branding.[10]
Industrialization (1851–1938)
The first era, the era of "industrialization", roughly covered the years from 1850 to 1938. In these years, world expositions were largely focused on trade and displayed technological advances and inventions. World expositions were platforms for state-of-the-art science and technology from around the world. The world expositions of
Cultural exchange (1939–1987)
The 1939–1940 New York World's Fair, and those that followed, took a different approach, one less focused on technology and aimed more at cultural themes and social progress. For instance, the theme of the 1939 fair was "Building the World of Tomorrow"; at the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair, it was "Peace Through Understanding"; at the 1967 International and Universal Exposition in Montreal, it was "Man and His World". These fairs encouraged effective intercultural communication along with sharing of technological innovation.
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition in Montreal was promoted under the name Expo 67. Event organizers retired the term world's fair in favor of Expo (the Montreal Expos, a former Major League Baseball team, was named for the 1967 fair).[13]
Nation branding (1988–present)
From World Expo 88 in Brisbane onwards, countries started to use expositions as a platform to improve their national image through their pavilions. Finland, Japan, Canada, France, and Spain are cases in point. A major study by Tjaco Walvis called "Expo 2000 Hanover in Numbers" showed that improving national image was the main goal for 73% of the countries participating in Expo 2000.[citation needed] Pavilions became a kind of advertising campaign, and the Expo served as a vehicle for "nation branding". According to branding expert Wally Olins, Spain used Expo '92 and the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona in the same year to underscore its new position as a modern and democratic country and to show itself as a prominent member of the European Union and the global community.[citation needed]
At Expo 2000 Hanover, countries created their own architectural pavilions, investing, on average, €12 million each.[14] Given these costs, governments are sometimes hesitant to participate, because the benefits may not justify the costs. However, while the effects are difficult to measure, an independent study for the Dutch pavilion at Expo 2000 estimated that the pavilion (which cost around €35 million) generated around €350 million of potential revenues for the Dutch economy. It also identified several key success factors for world-exposition pavilions in general.[15]
Types
At present there are two types of international exhibition: World Expos (formally known as International Registered Exhibitions) and Specialised Expos (formally known as International Recognised Exhibitions).[16] World Expos, previously known as universal expositions, are the biggest category events. At World Expos, participants generally build their own pavilions. They are therefore the most extravagant and most expensive expos. Their duration may be between six weeks and six months. Since 1995, the interval between two World Expos has been at least five years. World Expo 2015 was held in Milan, Italy, from 1 May to 31 October 2015.
Specialised Expos are smaller in scope and investments and generally shorter in duration; between three weeks and three months. Previously, these Expos were called Special Exhibitions or International Specialized Exhibitions but these terms are no longer used officially. Their total surface area must not exceed 25 hectares (62 acres) and organizers must build pavilions for the participating states, free of rent, charges, taxes and expenses. The largest country pavilions may not exceed 1,000 m2 (1⁄4 acre). Only one Specialised Expo can be held between two World Expos.[17]
An additional two types of international exhibition may be recognized by the BIE: horticultural exhibitions, which are joint
World Expos
World Expos (formally known as International Registered Exhibitions) encompass universal themes that affect the full gamut of human experience, and international and corporate participants are required to adhere to the theme in their representations. Registered expositions are held every 5 years because they are more expensive as they require total design of pavilion buildings from the ground up. As a result, nations compete for the most outstanding or memorable structure—for example Japan, France, Morocco, and Spain at Expo '92. Sometimes prefabricated structures are used to minimize costs for developing countries, or for countries from a geographical block to share space (i.e. Plaza of the Americas at Seville '92).
In the 21st century the BIE has moved to sanction World Expos every five years; following the numerous expos of the 1980s and 1990s, some see this as a means to cut down potential expenditure by participating nations. The move was also seen by some as an attempt to avoid conflicting with the
Specialised Expos
Specialized Expos (formally known as International Recognized Exhibitions) are usually united by a precise theme—such as "Future Energy" (
Specialized Expos are usually smaller in scale and cheaper to run for the host committee and participants because the architectural fees are lower and they only have to customize pavilion space provided free of charge from the Organiser, usually with the prefabricated structure already completed. Countries then have the option of "adding" their own colours, design etc. to the outside of the prefabricated structure and filling in the inside with their own content.
Horticultural Expos
Horticultural Expos (formally known as A1 International Horticultural Exhibitions) are co-regulated by
The purpose of these exhibitions is to foster cooperation and the sharing of knowledge and solutions between countries, horticultural producers and agricultural industries by addressing the paramount issues of healthy lifestyles, green economies, sustainable living, education and innovation.
List of expositions
List of official world expositions (Universal and International/Specialised/Horticultural) according to the Bureau International des Expositions.[19]
World Expos
Name of exposition | Dates | Area | Visitors | Participants | Theme |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Expo 1851 London | 1 May – 11 October 1851 | 10.40 | 6,039,195 | 25 | Industry of all Nations |
Expo 1855 Paris | 15 May – 15 November 1855 | 15.20 | 5,162,330 | 28 | Agriculture, Industry and fine arts |
Expo 1862 London | 1 May – 1 November 1862 | 11 | 6,096,617 | 39 | Industry and Art |
Expo 1867 Paris | 1 April – 3 November 1867 | 68.70 | 15,000,000 | 42 | Agriculture, Industry and Fine Arts |
Expo 1873 Vienna
|
1 May – 31 October 1873 | 233 | 7,255,000 | 35 | Culture and Education |
Expo 1876 Philadelphia | 10 May – 10 November 1876 | 115 | 10,000,000 | 35 | Arts, Manufactures and Products of the Soil and Mine |
Expo 1878 Paris | 20 May – 10 November 1878 | 75 | 16,156,626 | 35 | New Technologies |
Expo 1880 Melbourne
|
1 October – 30 April 1881 | 25 | 1,330,000 | 33 | Arts, Manufactures and Agricultural and Industrial Products of all Nations |
Expo 1888 Barcelona
|
8 April – 10 December 1888 | 46.50 | 2,300,000 | 30 | Fine and Industrial Art |
Expo 1889 Paris | 5 May – 31 October 1889 | 96 | 32,250,297 | 35 | Celebration of the centenary of the French revolution |
Expo 1893 Chicago | 1 May – 3 October 1893 | 290 | 27,500,000 | 19 | Fourth centenary of the discovery of America |
Expo 1897 Brussels
|
10 May – 8 November 1897 | 36 | 6,000,000 | 27 | Modern Life |
Expo 1900 Paris | 15 April – 12 November 1900 | 120 | 50,860,801 | 40 | 19th century: an overview |
Expo 1904 St. Louis | 30 April – 1 December 1904 | 500 | 19,694,855 | 60 | Celebration of the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase |
Expo 1905 Liege
|
27 April – 6 November 1905 | 70 | 7,000,000 | 35 | Commemoration of the 75th anniversary of independence |
Expo 1906 Milan
|
28 April – 11 November 1906 | 100 | N/A | 40 | Transportation |
Expo 1910 Brussels
|
23 April – 7 November 1910 | 30 | 13,000,000 | 26 | Works of Art and Science, Agricultural and Industrial Products of All Nations |
Expo 1913 Ghent
|
26 April – 3 November 1913 | 130 | 9,503,419 | 24 | Peace, Industry and Art |
Expo 1915 San Francisco | 20 February – 4 December 1915 | 254 | 18,876,438 | 41 | Celebrating the opening of the Panama Canal |
Expo 1929 Barcelona | 20 May 1929 – 15 January 1930 | 118 | 5,800,000 | 29 | Industry, Art and Sport |
Expo 1933 Chicago | 27 May 1933 – 31 October 1934 | 170 | 38,872,000 | 21 | The independence among Industry and scientific research. |
Expo 1935 Brussels | 27 April – 3 November 1935 | 152 | 20,000,000 | 25 | Transport |
Expo 1937 Paris | 25 May – 25 November 1937 | 104 | 31,040,955 | 35 | Arts and technology in modern life |
Expo 1939 New York | 30 April 1939 – 27 October 1940 | 500 | N/A | 54 | Building the World of Tomorrow |
Expo 1949 Port-au-Prince | 8 December 1949 – 8 June 1950 | N/A | 250,000 | 18 | The festival of Peace |
Expo 1958 Brussels
|
17 April – 19 October 1958 | 200 | 41,454,412 | 39 | A World View: A New Humanism |
Expo 1962 Seattle | 21 April – 21 October 1962 | 30 | 9,000,000 | 49 | Man in the Space Age |
Expo 1967 Montreal | 28 April – 29 October 1967 | 400 | 50,306,648 | 62 | Man and his World |
Expo 1970 Osaka | 15 March – 13 November 1970 | 330 | 64,218,770 | 67 | Progress and Harmony for Mankind |
Expo 1992 Seville | 20 April – 12 October 1992 | 215 | 41,814,571 | 108 | The Age of Discovery |
Expo 2000 Hannover | 1 June – 31 October 2000 | 160 | 18,100,000 | 174 | Humankind - Nature - Technology |
Expo 2005 Aichi | 25 March – 25 September 2005 | 173 | 22,049,544 | 121 | Nature’s Wisdom |
Expo 2010 Shanghai | 1 May – 31 October 2010 | 523 | 73,085,000 | 246 | Better City, Better Life |
Expo 2015 Milan | 1 May – 31 October 2015 | 110 | 21,500,000 | 139 | Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life |
Expo 2020 Dubai | 1 October 2021 – 31 March 2022 | 438 | 24,102,967 | 200 | Connecting Minds, Creating the Future |
Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai | 13 April – 13 October 2025 | 135 | Designing Future Society for Our Lives | ||
Expo 2030 Riyadh | 1 October 2030 – 31 March 2031 | The Era of Change: Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow |
Specialised Expos
Name of exposition | Dates | Area | Visitors | Participants | Theme |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Expo 1936 Stockholm | 15 May – 1 June 1936 | N/A | N/A | 8 | Aviation |
Expo 1938 Helsinki | 14 May – 22 May 1938 | N/A | N/A | 25 | Aerospace |
Expo 1939 Liege
|
20 May – 2 September 1939 | 50 | N/A | 8 | Art of Water |
Expo 1947 Paris
|
10 July – 15 August 1947 | 6.35 | N/A | 14 | Urbanism and Housing |
Expo 1949 Stockholm | 27 July – 13 August 1949 | N/A | N/A | 14 | Sport and physical culture |
Expo 1949 Lyon | 24 September – 9 October 1949 | 110 | N/A | N/A | Rural Habitat |
Expo 1951 Lille | 28 April – 20 May 1951 | 15 | 1,500,000 | 24 | Textile |
Expo 1953 Rome | 26 July – 31 October 1953 | 12 | 1,700,000 | N/A | Agriculture |
Expo 1953 Jerusalem | 22 September – 14 October 1953 | 4.60 | 600,000 | 13 | Conquest of the Desert |
Expo 1954 Naples
|
15 May – 15 October 1954 | 100 | N/A | 25 | Navigation |
Expo 1955 Turin | 25 May – 15 June 1955 | N/A | 120,000 | 11 | Sport |
Expo 1955 Helsingborg
|
10 June – 28 August 1955 | N/A | N/A | 10 | Modern Man in the Environment |
Expo 1956 Beit Dagan
|
21 May – 20 June 1956 | 55 | N/A | N/A | Citrus |
Expo 1957 Berlin | 6 July – 29 September 1957 | N/A | 1,000,000 | 13 | Reconstruction of Hansa District |
Expo 1961 Turin | 1 May – 31 September 1961 | 50 | 5,000,000 | 19 | Man and his Work – A Century of Technological and Social Developments |
Expo 1965 Munich | 25 June – 3 October 1965 | 50.20 | 2,500,000 | 31 | Transport |
Expo 1968 San Antonio | 6 April – 6 October 1968 | 39 | 6,384,482 | 23 | The confluence of civilizations in the Americas |
Expo 1971 Budapest | 27 August – 30 September 1971 | 35 | 1,900,000 | 35 | The Hunt through the World |
Expo 1974 Spokane | 4 May – 2 November 1974 | 40 | 5,600,000 | 56 | Celebrating Tomorrow’s Fresh New Environment |
Expo 1975 Okinawa | 20 July 1975 – 18 January 1976 | 100 | 3,485,750 | 35 | The Sea We would like to See |
Expo 1976 Plovdiv | 14 June – 12 July 1981 | 51 | N/A | 70 | Earth – Planet of Life |
Expo 1982 Knoxville | 1 May – 31 October 1982 | 29 | 11,127,780 | 16 | Energy turns the World |
Expo 1984 New Orleans | 12 May – 11 November 1984 | 34 | 7,335,000 | 15 | The World of rivers – Fresh Water as a source of life |
Expo 1985 Tsukuba | 17 March – 16 September 1985 | 100 | 20,334,727 | 48 | Dwellings and surroundings – Science and Technology for Man at Home |
Expo 1985 Plovdiv | 4 – 30 November 1985 | 5.80 | 1,000,000 | 54 | Inventions |
Expo 1986 Vancouver | 2 May – 13 October 1986 | 70 | 22,111,578 | 55 | Transportation and Communication: World in Motion – World in Touch |
Expo 1988 Brisbane
|
30 April – 30 October 1988 | 40 | 18,560,447 | 36 | Leisure in the age of Technology |
Expo 1991 Plovdiv | 7 June – 7 July 1991 | N/A | N/A | 9 | The activity of young people in the service of a World of Peace |
Expo 1992 Genoa | 15 May – 15 August 1992 | 6 | 817,045 | 52 | Christopher Colombus: The Ship and the Sea |
Expo 1993 Daejeon
|
7 August – 7 November 1993 | 90.10 | 14,005,808 | 141 | The Challenge of a New Road of Development |
Expo 1998 Lisbon | 22 May – 30 September 1998 | 50 | 10,128,204 | 160 | The Oceans: a heritage for the Future |
Expo 2008 Zaragoza | 14 June – 14 September 2008 | 25 | 5,650,943 | 108 | Water and sustainable development |
Expo 2012 Yeosu | 14 May – 12 August 2012 | 25 | 8,203,956 | 103 | The living ocean and coast |
Expo Astana 2017 | 10 June – 10 September 2017 | 35 | 3,977,545 | 137 | Future Energy |
Expo 2027 Belgrade | 15 May – 15 August 2027 | Play for Humanity – Sport and Music for All |
Horticultural Expos
Name of exposition | Dates | Area | Visitors | Participants | Theme |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Expo 1960 Rotterdam | 25 March – 25 September 1936 | 50 | 4,000,000 | N/A | International Horticulture |
Expo 1963 Hamburg | 26 April – 13 October 1963 | 76 | 5,400,000 | 35 | Horticulture of all Categories from the Point of View of Economics and Culture |
Expo 1964 Vienna | 16 April – 11 October 1964 | 100 | 2,100,000 | 28 | International Horticulture |
Expo 1969 Paris | 23 April – 5 October 1969 | 28 | 2,400,000 | 17 | Flowers of France and Flowers of the World |
Expo 1972 Amsterdam | 26 March – 1 October 1972 | 75 | 4,300,000 | N/A | Efforts accomplished by International Horticulture |
Expo 1973 Hamburg | 27 April – 7 October 1973 | 76 | 5,800,000 | 50 | International Horticulture |
Expo 1974 Vienna | 18 April – 14 October 1974 | 100 | 2,600,000 | 30 | International Horticulture |
Expo 1980 Montreal | 17 May – 1 September 1980 | 40 | N/A | 23 | Relationship between man’s socio-cultural activities and his physical environment |
Expo 1982 Amsterdam | 8 April – 10 October 1982 | 50 | 4,600,000 | 17 | International Horticulture |
Expo 1983 Munich | 28 April – 9 October 1983 | 72 | 11,600,000 | 23 | International Horticulture |
Expo 1984 Liverpool | 2 May – 14 October 1984 | 95 | 3,380,000 | 29 | The progress accomplished by International and National Horticulture |
Expo 1990 Osaka | 1 April – 30 September 1990 | 140 | 23,126,934 | 83 | The Harmonious Coexistence of Nature and Mankind |
Expo 1992 Zoetermeer | 10 April – 12 October 1992 | 68 | 3,355,600 | 23 | Horticulture is being involved in a continuous process of renewal |
Expo 1993 Stuttgart | 23 April – 17 October 1993 | 64 | 7,311,000 | 40 | City and Nature – Responsible Approach |
Expo 1993 Kunming | 1 May – 31 October 1993 | 218 | 9,427,000 | 70 | Man and Nature – Marching into the 21st century |
Expo 2002 Haarlemmermeer | 25 April – 20 October 2002 | 140 | 2,071,000 | 30 | The contribution of the Netherlands horticulture and international horticulture |
Expo 2003 Rostock | 25 April – 12 October 2003 | 100 | 2,600,000 | 32 | A Seaside Park. A new flowered world |
Expo 2006 Chiang Mai | 1 November 2006 – 31 January 2007 | 80 | 3,848,791 | 32 | To Express the Love for Humanity |
Expo 2012 Venlo | 5 April – 7 October 2012 | 66 | 2,046,684 | 38 | Be part of the theatre in nature; get closer to the quality of life |
Expo 2016 Antalya | 23 April – 30 October 2016 | 112 | 4,693,571 | 54 | Flowers and Children |
Expo 2019 Beijing | 29 April – 7 October 2019 | 503 | 9,340,000 | 110 | Live Green, Live Better |
Expo 2022 Amsterdam – Almere | 14 April – 9 October 2022 | 60 | 685,189 | 32 | Growing Green Cities |
Expo 2023 Doha | 2 October 2023 – 28 March 2024 | 170 | N/A | N/A | Green Desert, Better Environment |
Expo 2027 Yokohama | 19 March – 26 September 2027 | 80 | Scenery of the Future for Happiness | ||
Expo 2029 Nakhon Ratchasima | 10 November 2029 – 28 February 2030 | 80 | Nature and Greenery: Envisioning the Green Future |
Legacies
Most of the structures are temporary and are dismantled after the fair closes, except for landmark towers. By far the most famous of these is the Eiffel Tower, built for the Exposition Universelle (1889). Although it is now the most recognized symbol of its host city Paris, there were contemporary critics opposed to its construction, and demands for it to be dismantled after the fair's conclusion.[20]
Other structures that remain from these fairs:
- 1851 – London: The Crystal Palace, from the first World's Fair in London, designed so that it could be recycled to recoup losses, was such a success that it was moved and intended to be permanent, only to be destroyed by a fire in 1936.[21]
- 1876 – Philadelphia: The Centennial Exposition's main building, Memorial Hall, is still in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, and serving as the new home for the Please Touch Museum. The space under the entrance to Memorial Hall houses a scale model of the entire Exposition.
- 1880 – Melbourne: The Melbourne International Exhibition.
- 1893 – Chicago: The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago is housed in the former Palace of Fine Arts, one of the last remaining buildings of the World's Columbian Exposition. In conjunction with the fair, the Art Institute of Chicago building was built to house conferences, as the World's Congress Auxiliary Building. The Garden of the Phoenix, a remnant of the Japanese pavilion, also survives. The intent or hope was to make all Columbian structures permanent, but most of the structures burned, possibly the result of arson during the Pullman Strike. The foundation of the world's first Ferris wheel, which operated at the Exposition, was unearthed on the Chicago Midway during a construction project by the University of Chicago, whose campus now surrounds the Midway. Relocated survivors include the Norway pavilion, a small house now at a museum in Wisconsin, and the Maine State Building, now at the Poland Springs Resort in Maine.
- 1894 – San Francisco: The Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is the last major remnant of the California Midwinter International Exposition. Large ornamental wooden gates and a pagoda from the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition were brought in after the latter fair closed,[22]making the Tea Garden a rare if not unique instance of a survivor that incorporates architectural features from two completely separate fairs.
- 1897 – Nashville: A full-scale replica of the Nashville's Centennial Park. It features plaster reproductions of the Elgin Marbles and, in 1990, a re-creation of the original Athena Parthenos statue was installed inside just as it was in the original Parthenonin ancient Greece.
- 1900 – Paris: the Grand Palais and Petit Palais.
- 1906 – Milan: The Milan Exposition is still open after 100 years and was recently renovated. The International Commission on Occupational Health(ICOH) was settled in Milan during the fair and had its first congress in the Expo pavilions. In June 2006 the ICOH celebrated the first century of its life in Milan. An elevated railway with trains running at short intervals linked the fair to the city center. It was dismantled in the 1920s.
- 1909 – Seattle: The landscaping (by the Olmsted brothers) from the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition (AYPE) in Seattle still forms much of the University of Washington campus. The only major building left from the AYPE, Architecture Hall, is used by the university's architecture school.
- 1915 – San Francisco: The Museum of Us), the 1,500-foot Cabrillo Bridge, the lily pond and botanical gardens, and the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.[23]
- 1929 – Seville & Barcelona: much survives from the two simultaneous fairs Mies van der Rohe, which was demolished but later rebuilt on the original site.[24]
- 1936 – Johannesburg: The Empire Exhibition, South Africa was built close to the University of the Witwatersrand, and by the late 1970s the growth of the university was large enough to incorporate the permanent buildings from the exhibition. In 1985, the university purchased the South African Government Building; the two Heavy Machinery Halls, now called Empire Hall and the Dining Hall; the Hall of Transport; the Tower of Light; the Cape Dutch complex; and the Bien Donne Restaurant.
- 1939 – New York City: Coney island boardwalk in Brooklyn.[citation needed]
- 1942 – Rome: A special case is the EUR quarter in Rome, built for a World's Fair planned for 1942 but cancelled because of World War II. Today it hosts governmental and private offices, and several museums.
- 1958 – Brussels: In VRT.
- 1962 – Seattle: The Space Needle theme building of the Century 21 Exposition commonly known as the Seattle World's Fair still stands as a Seattle icon and landmark. The Seattle Center Monorail, the other widely known futuristic feature of the fair, still operates daily. The US pavilion became the Pacific Science Center. The original exterior and roof of the Washington State Pavilion has been preserved as a landmark, and now is part of Climate Pledge Arena.
- 1964 – New York City: many structures still stand
- The Unisphere, built for the second New York World's Fair, stands on its original site in Flushing Meadows, Queens
- The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, site of the US Open.
- New York Hall of Science, built for the fair, continues to operate as a science museum, similar to its original role
- The Port Authority Heliport and Exhibit is now the Terrace on the Park event and catering venue
- The New York State Pavilion is mostly derelict, but is still an icon, with its observation towers prominently featured in 1997's Men in Black. The Theaterama building is the only portion still maintained, and is used by the Queens Theater. There are plans to restore to the main Tent of Tomorrow building.
- The New York City Pavilion, a holdover form the 1939 fair, continues to serve as the home of the Queens Museum
- Other artifacts remain throughout the park, and many buildings were transported for use elsewhere and continue to function.
- 1967 – Montreal: Among the structures still standing from Expo 67 in Montreal are Montreal Biosphere", the Jamaica Pavilion, the Tunisia Pavilion, and the French pavilion (now the Montreal Casino).
- 1968 – San Antonio: San Antonio kept the Tower of the Americas, the Institute of Texan Cultures and the Convention Center from HemisFair '68.
- 1970 – Osaka: The Tower of the Sun was left standing, but was neglected after the conclusion of the Expo '70. After restoration to the structure was completed, the museum inside the tower was re-opened on 18 March 2018.[25]
- 1974 – Spokane: Riverfront Parkthat was created for Expo '74—the park remains a popular and iconic part of Spokane's downtown.
- 1982 – Knoxville: The Sunsphere from the Knoxville World's Fair remains as a feature of Knoxville's skyline.
- 1984 – New Orleans: The main pavilions of the 1984 New Orleans World's Fair became the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, which is also known for its use as a shelter of last resort during Hurricane Katrina.
- 1986 – Vancouver: In Science World and Canada Place.
- 1988 – Brisbane: The Expo '88 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, still stands. Other survivors are the Nepalese Peace Pagoda of the Nepalese representation, now at the transformed World Expo '88 site South Bank Parklands, and the Japan Pond and Garden from the Japanese representation, now at the Brisbane Mount Cooth-tha Botanic Gardens. In 2018 the World Expo 88 Art Trail was re-birthed and dramatically expanded as part of the 30th Anniversary of World expo 88, now forming a Major tourist attraction in its own right.[26]
- 1992 – Seville: The pavilions of theme park.
- 1998 – Lisbon: The main buildings of Expo '98 in Lisbon were completely integrated into the city itself and many of the art exhibition pieces still remain.
- 2005 – Nagoya: The Aichi, remains operating at its original site in Morikoro Park and is a popular tourist attraction, eventually being incorporated into Ghibli Parkin 2022.
- 2010 – Shanghai: The China pavilion from Expo 2010 in Shanghai, the largest display in the history of the World Expo, is now the China Art Museum, the largest art museum in Asia.
- 2015 – Milan: The Italian Pavilion of Expo 2015 remains on the original site.
Some world's fair sites became (or reverted to) parks incorporating some of the expo elements, such as:
- Audubon Park, New Orleans: Site of New Orleans's World Cotton Centennialin 1884
- Columbian Exposition
- Centennial Park, Nashville: Tennessee Centennial Expo in 1897
- Saint Louis Louisiana Purchase Expositionof 1904
- California Pacific International Exposition (1935)
- Seattle Center: Century 21 Exposition in 1962
- Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, New York City: Site of both the 1939 New York World's Fair and the 1964 New York World's Fair
- Montreal: Expo 67
- San Antonio: HemisFair '68
- Expo Commemoration Park, Osaka: Expo '70
- World's Fair Park, Knoxville: 1982 World's Fair
- Vancouver: Expo 86
- Expo '88: now represented with the South Bank Parklands[27]
- Seville: Expo '92
- Daejeon (Taejŏn): Expo '93
- Casino Lisboa, Oceanário and Pavilhão do Conhecimento].
- Shanghai Expo Park: Expo 2010
- Rho, Milan, Lombardy District: Expo 2015
Some pavilions have been transported overseas intact:
- The Argentine Pavilion from the 1889 Paris was relocated to Buenos Aires, Argentina until its demolition in 1932.
- The Chilean Pavilion from Santiago, Chile and following significant refurbishment in 1992 functions as the Museo Artequin[28]
- The Peruvian Pavilion from 1900 Paris is now in Lima, as home to the Military Academy of History.
- The Laken(Brussels) on request of King Leopold II of Belgium.
- The Belgium Pavilion from the 1939 New York World's Fair was relocated to Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia.
- The USSR Pavilion from Expo 67 is now in Moscow.
- The Sanyo Pavilion from Expo '70 is the Asian Centre at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
- The Portugal Pavilion from Expo 2000 is now in Coimbra, Portugal.
- The United Arab Emirates Pavilion from Expo 2010 is now in Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi in UAE[29]
- The Bahrain Pavilion from Expo 2015 was relocated to Bahrain. The Azerbaijan Pavilion is in that country's capital Baku. The Chinese Pavilion was brought back to Qingdao and is on the site of the 2014 horticultural exhibition.
- The Save the Children Italy pavilion from Expo 2015 was dismantled and re-built as school for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon.[30][31]
The Brussels
Many exhibitions and rides created by
Disney had contributed so many exhibits to the New York fair in part because the corporation had originally envisioned a "permanent World's Fair" at the Flushing site. That concept instead came to fruition with the Disney
Occasionally other mementos of the fairs remain. In the New York City Subway system, signs directing people to Flushing Meadows, Queens remain from the 1964–65 event. In the Montreal subway at least one tile artwork of its theme, "Man and His World", remains. Also, a seemingly endless supply of souvenir items from fair visits can be found, and in the United States, at least, often turn up at garage or estate sales. Many fairs and expos produced postage stamps and commemorative coins.
The
See also
References
- ^ a b "world's fair | History Instances, & Facts | Britannica". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ [1] Britannica. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
- ^ "exposition". Cambridge French-English Dictionary.
- ^ The Expo was postponed from 2020 to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- ^ Kárníková, Ludmila (1965). Vývoj obyvatelstva v českých zemích 1754–1914 (1 ed.). Praha: Nakladatelství Československé akademie věd. pp. 401, [2] s. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- JSTOR 2594203. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- S2CID 145393467. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ^ "The era of enlightenment". Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
- ^ John R. Davies in Findling and Pelle (2008), "Encyclopedia of World's Fairs and Expositions", pp. 13–14
- ^ Walvis, Tjaco, ed. (April 2004). "Three eras of World Expositions: 1851–present". Cosmopolite: Stardust World Expo & National Branding Newsletter (5). Amsterdam: Stardust New Ventures: 1.
- ^ "World's Fair | History, Instances, & Facts". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ Abbattista, Guido; Iannuzzi, Giulia (2016). "World Expositions as Time Machines: Two Views of the Visual Construction of Time between Anthropology and Futurama". World History Connected. 13 (3).
- ^ Ted Dykstra (Director) (2004). Expo'67: Back to the future (DVD). Canada: CBC Home Video.
- ^ "World Expo 2020 Silicon Valley - USA Economic Impacts" (PDF). Bay Area Council Economic Institute. February 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
- ^ Tjaco Walvis (2003), "Building Brand Locations", Corporate Reputation Review, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 358–366
- ^ "The Expos". Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
- ^ Based on: BIE Convention
- ^ "Triennal di Milano." Bureau International des Expositions (BIE-Paris.org). Retrieved 10 June 2019.
- ^ "Official Site of the Bureau International des Expositions". Bie-paris.org. 27 June 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
- ^ "The Controversy about the Eiffel Tower". Paris Eiffel Tower News. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ^ "Crystal Palace: Joseph Paxton – Transported by moving company". Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ PPIE Found Remnants: Architecture: Japanese Gates and Pagoda. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- ^ "Balboa Park History". Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
- ^ Expo, International Expositions 1851–2010, Anna Jackson, 2008
- ^ "Tower of the Sun – Suita-shi, Japan – Atlas Obscura". Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ "World Expo '88 Public Art Trail – 30th Anniversary." Brisbane City Council (Brisbane.qld.gov.au). Retrieved 10 June 2019.
- ^ "Home – South Bank – Visitor Info – What's On – Shopping – Dining – Attractions and more". Visit South Bank. 4 June 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
- ^ "Artequin". Artequin.cl. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
- ^ "The UAE in World Expos". Expo 2020, Dubai, UAE. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
- ^ "Jarahieh School for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon". CatalyticAction. Archived from the original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
- ^ "La nuova vita del villaggio Expo: una scuola in Libano". Save the Children Italia. 29 December 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
- ^ "Home – Carré". Carre.be. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
Further reading
- Findling, John E.; Pelle, Kimberly D., eds. (2008). Encyclopedia of World's Fairs and Expositions. Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland.
- Geppert, Alexander C. T. (2010). Fleeting Cities: Imperial Expositions in Fin-de-Siècle Europe. Basingstoke/New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Geppert, Alexander C. T., World's Fairs, EGO – European History Online, Mainz: Institute of European History, 2018, retrieved: 8 March 2021 (PDF).
- López César, Isaac; Estévez-Cimadevila, Javier (2018). "World Expos. Five structural approaches". Estoa. 7 (13): 7–22. hdl:2183/20872.
External links
- Bureau International des Expositions - official website
- Expo Bids: The World's Fair Bid Tracker Archived 4 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine Information about bids for future world's fairs
- Expo FAQs General World's Fair questions answered at Celebrate 88
- Exposition Medals Award medals of American World's Fairs and Expos
- "Exposition Posters". Paintings and Drawings. Victoria and Albert Museum. Archived from the original on 27 October 2007. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- World's Fair Ephemeral and Graphic Materials collection
- Weltaustellung.net Photographs from thirteen fairs, includes stereograms
- World's Fairs and the Landscapes of the Modern Metropolis Posters, photographs, pamphlets, commemorative books, maps, government reports, and ephemera from the collection of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University
- "World's Fairs. Structure laboratory: the contribution of the buildings built for the World's Fairs to the history of architecture structural typologies". PhD thesis by Isaac López César.