Like some sort of Island of Misfit Toys, an entirely different New York City could be created purely out of the structures that were designed for the city but never built. Buckminster Fuller’s giant Dome Over Manhattan, I.M. Pei’s Hyperboloid, or Frank Lloyd Wright’s plans for Ellis Island would, individually, have significantly altered the City That Never Sleeps. Together, however, these projects, and hundreds of others that were never realized, would have created a New York City that is drastically different from the one that exists today.
A new exhibition, coming to the Queens Museum in September 2017, will create a gallery dedicated to rarely seen models, sketches, and drawings of dozens of structures designed for New York City but never built. As part of the exhibit, more than 70 models will be installed to the museum’s Panorama of the City of New York, a scale model of Manhattan originally commissioned for the 1964 World’s Fair.
A small portion of the Panorama of the City of New York. Image courtesy of Metropolis Books
The Queens Museum launched a Kickstarter campaign in an effort to reach a goal of $35,000 to support the installation of the gallery. In addition to showing some of the more imaginative concepts that were never built, the exhibition will also “explore the backstory behind how and why New York City came to look the way it does,” according to the project’s Kickstarter page.
The goal of the exhibit is to showcase many of the fascinating New York projects that never came to fruition and to show how issues such as ecological sustainability, population displacement, and economic inequity are linked to the built environment
Buckminster Fuller's Dome Over Manhattan. Image courtesy of Metropolis Books
Greg Goldin and Sam Lubell have curated the exhibit with models designed by Studio Christian Wassmann. The models are being purpose-built by students in Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. Goldin and Lubell previously created a Never Built Los Angeles exhibit in 2013 that was on display at the A+D Architecture and Design Museum in Los Angeles.
Rufus Gilbert's Elevated Railway. Image courtesy of Metropolis Books
Related Stories
Contractors | Jul 1, 2015
ABC: Nonresidential construction spending continues growth with stellar May
Through the first five months of 2015, nonresidential construction spending is having its second best year since the Census Bureau began tracking the metric in 2002, according to ABC.
Architects | Jun 29, 2015
Getty Foundation announces second series of ‘Keeping It Modern’ grants to conserve 20th century architecture
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple and Erich Mendelsohn’s Einstein Tower are among the 14 projects added to the Keeping It Modern grant program.
Architects | Jun 29, 2015
9 top picks for continuing education from BD+C University
A roundup of top AIA/CES Discovery courses from BD+C University.
Industrial Facilities | Jun 24, 2015
5 trends that will shape the future of scientific labs
Scientific research is increasingly focusing on data collection and analytical analysis of that data, meaning the "lab of the future" will more closely resemble contemporary tech spaces, writes Gensler’s Erik Lustgarten.
Architects | Jun 23, 2015
Architecture Billings Index back to positive territory for May 2015
The American Institute of Architects reported the May ABI score was 51.9, up from a mark of 48.8 in April.
Architects | Jun 23, 2015
If film directors designed homes, what would they look like?
From Burton to Bergman, Gondry to Greenway, artist Federico Babina illustrates what buildings would look like if designed by the world’s greatest directors.
High-rise Construction | Jun 23, 2015
The world's best new skyscrapers for 2015
One World Trade Center and Abu Dhabi's Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid Tower are among the four towers named Best Tall Buildings by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
Museums | Jun 23, 2015
Moreau Kusunoki's 'art in the city' scheme wins Guggenheim Helsinki design competition
The firm’s design concept makes use of the museum’s site, turning it into a bustling, well-connected waterfront hub.
Architects | Jun 22, 2015
NCARB adopts alternative for certification of foreign architects
The change, effective July 1, 2016, will replace the current BEFA Program’s requirements, eliminating the committee dossier review and the need to document seven years of credentialed practice in a foreign country.
BIM and Information Technology | Jun 21, 2015
11 tips for mastering 3D printing in the AEC world
Early adopters provide first-hand advice on the trials and tribulations of marrying 3D printing with the science of building technology.
