World’s Fairs seem to be a memory of the distant past. These mega-scale events once brought us culinary staples, technological advancements, and introduced some of the most notable examples of architecture and landmarks that impact how we think about design and construction even in the present day. Throughout the numerous fairs and expos that were held, architectural discourse itself significantly advanced and the pomp and circumstance that surrounded these muscular flexes of international innovation reimagined what life would be like in the decades to come.
The ability for a nation to host a World’s Fair was once considered an honor. It was an opportunity to present ideas and experimentation in a way that encouraged competition on a global scale. Every country that participated carefully curated a highly detailed experience, which meant that the stage was set for architects to break their traditional boundaries of practice to explore more conceptual or futuristic ideas. The Barcelona Pavilion, for example, is the refinement of Mies van der Rohe’s ideas on simple forms, modernism, and proportion, and was the former German Pavilion for the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona. Even the Eiffel Tower, which is perhaps the most famous structure in Paris, was built for a World’s Fair in 1899. Although the intent was to dismantle it after the event, it was so widely popular and became synonymous with the French capital, that it was allowed to remain. London’s Crystal Palace, Jackson Park in Chicago, and Montreal’s Habitat 67 were results of World Expos that have staked their claim to architectural significance as well.
