SESSION VI: World Fairs in the Modern World

What we know as amusement parks, were once known as International Exhibitions. In them, some of history's most important technological and scientific inventions were exposed. Most of the times, they had to do with design and architecture, prompting a healthy competition that later on kept modernizing the world, resulting in it as we know it today.

For example, The World's Colombian Exposition, hosted in Chicago showed new technologies, along a idealized, more modernized version of itself as a city. Paris, for instance, hosted a series in which they showed democracy, alongside economic liberalism, and technological progress.

Fairs like these made a boom in terms of progress, and as time went on they showed great influence in educational expositions, design biennials, and international events hosted among other cities with the same goals.

The series of world fairs from Paris (Ranging from 1855, 1867, 1878, 1889 and 1900), are summarized in the creation of the Eiffel Tower. This giant pillar, came to be the icon of capitalism and Paris itself. The fist exhibition in Paris, showcased Palais de I'Industrie, designed by Jean-Marie-Victor Viel, and was crafted with iron, as well as glass. His work, rivaled with Paxton's Cristal Palace, later on coming about in London's Great Exposition (1851). Following along, Palais de Machines surfaced, as well as the Trocadero Conference and Concert Hall. Because of all the fairs, the expos welcomed tourism, as well as progress into the city. In order to facilitate circulation throughout, the cities were rebuilt, and Eugene Henard, a figure of modern urbanism proposed public transportation to welcome tourists, integrated infrastructure, as well as the use of boulevards in order to adapt.

Competitions and museums came about to become centers for social research, which showed in addition urban planning. Early urban showcases were built, while paving the way for the Art Noveau movement, shown in Hector Guimard's Metro entrances.

While this took place, it influenced another mayor city; following the creation of Chicago's 1893 Colombian Exposition. It had approximately over 25 million tourists and visitors, and in contrast to Paris, it was prompted across national media. Above all, it was a performative experiment, as it did not consist merely on social and economic, scientific or technological progress. It created an idealized version of Chicago, inspiring Americans to imagine what the city could've looked like in the future. The architect Daniel Burnham was in charge of this project and called it "White City" . It consisted of Neo- classical style and a series of monuments like: The Court of Honor, The Transportation Building, The Administration Building, and the world renowned Ferris Wheel.

Both fairs, in Paris and Chicago have been very important in relation to today's design. They have inspired other expos as well to emerge, leading to the creation of some of the world's most recognized buildings. Some examples of this are: The Barcelona Pavilion and The Space Needle. The reason for all the progress presently, one could say came from here. From the particular need as a social community to progress and make the world a better place; recreating brighter futures, imagining a better society and a healthier world to live in.

Here are some other posters of World Fairs:

(1939) New York

(1962) Seattle

References:

• De Tholozany, P., Ph.D. (2020). The Expositions Universelles in Nineteenth Century Paris. Kirkuk University Journal-Scientific Studies, 15(2), 1-16. doi:10.32894/kujss.2019.15.2.1

• Levin, M. (2013, January 08). Inventing a Modern Paris. The Dynamic Relationship between Expositions, Urban Development and Museums. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from https://upcommons.upc.edu/handle/2099/12870

• Rawn, E. (2015, April 30). The Architectural Lab: A History Of World Expos. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from https://www.archdaily.com/625936/the-architectural-lab-a-history-of-world-expos

• Silla, C. (n.d.). View of Chicago World's Fair of 1893: Marketing the modern imaginary of the city and urban everyday life through representation: First Monday. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/4955/3787