The National Trust for Historic Preservation and People for the Pavilion are today announcing the panel of judges who will determine the winners of an international ideas competition soliciting imaginative ways for how the New York State Pavilion – the shining star of the 1964-65 World’s Fair held in Queens, NY – can be reinvented and reused as a vibrant public space. Here are the competition judges:

New York State Pavilion Design Competition Judges

Paul Goldberger - Vanity Fair, Contributing Editor

Laura Raicovich - Queens Museum, Executive Director

Taryn Sacramone - Queens Theatre, Managing Director

Deborah Berke - Deborah Berke and Partners Architects, Founding Partner

Rick Chandler, P.E. - Commissioner, New York City Department of Buildings

Liz Waytkus - Docomomo US, Executive Director

Anthony Ng - Queens community leader

Ellen Kodadek - Flushing Town Hall, Executive and Artistic Director

Gonzalo Casals - Friends of the High Line, Vice President of Public Programs and Community

Anna Dioguardi-Moyano - Queens Community House, Director of Organizing and Community Development

Beatriz Gil - Hibridos Collective, Co-Founder

Julissa Ferreras-Copeland - NYC Council, District 21 Council Member

Additional background on the just-announced list of judges can be found here. The ideas competition website is open for entries now until Friday, July 1. The competition’s objectives, requirements, and resources to assist applicants can be found here.

In addition to the judges’ selections, the competition will offer a fan favorite selected by the public to be announced on July 18. The jury-selected competition finalists and winners will be announced on Thursday, August 4, 2016 at an event and month-long exhibit at the Queen’s Museum in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. There will be cash prizes for the winners, including $3,000 for first place, $1,000 for second place, $500 for third place, and $500 for the fan favorite.

Queens Community Events

To drive community interest in the competition, the National Trust and People for the Pavilion have partnered with two cutting-edge, Queens-based placemaking organizations—RPGA Studio and Hibridos Collective on a series of public events. The schedule for community events from March through June can be found here. Media are welcome to attend these events which are free and open to the public.

The New York State Pavilion as a National Treasure

Named a National Treasure by the National Trust in April 2014, many believe the New York State Pavilion, designed by Philip Johnson, was the finest architectural achievement of the 1964-65 World’s Fair. Today, the Pavilion is an exhilarating public building that stands as a reminder of iconic civic architecture from the 1960’s, soaring high above a thriving Queens’ community and within one of the city’s greatest parks. Shuttered for decades, it is challenged by deterioration and is the only element remaining from the 1964-65 World’s Fair that has not yet been restored or adapted. This ideas competition aims to vigorously address feasible reuse plans for the remarkable building.

About People for the Pavilion

People for the Pavilion (PFP) is a 501(c)3 non-profit advocacy organization whose mission is to develop a vibrant community around the New York State Pavilion and to raise awareness about the structure. PFP raises awareness through public programs, events, and online communications, and reaches out to individuals, organizations, and institutions about the preservation effort, particularly those based around Flushing Meadows Corona Park.