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Photograph: Courtesy CC/flickr/ Sam Howzit

This Queens icon will be lit up for the first time since the ’70s

Written by
David Goldberg
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Sure, the bizarre circular towers of the New York State Pavilion haven't gotten much attention since Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones blew them up in 1997's Men In Black (they were actually spaceships, you know how it goes), but the historic pillars are finally getting their due tonight. Director Matthew Silva will screen his documentary, Modern Ruin: A World's Fair Pavilion, about the bleak history of the 1964 World's Fair landmark and the contemporary debates over whether to renovate it or tear it to the ground. With the help of Guerilla Lighting and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the towers will be fully illuminated, a sight unseen since the Pavilion was used as a disco roller rink in the early ’70s, and visitors to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park will be in for a bright treat. 

Featured as part of the "tent of tomorrow" at the 1964 World's Fair, the three UFO-like observation decks haven't been put to much use since the Cold War years, save for serving as an interesting sight along the Long Island Expressway. But for World's Fair fanatics and architecture buffs, the Pavilion represents unused potential, and some Queens residents hope that it can again become one of NYC's best views. While access to the towers remains forbidden, it looks like they may be up and running in a few years' time, thanks to a recent $8 million renovation plan. Last year, the ring of the Pavilion was repainted with a bold American Cheese Yellow, and plans are underway to repair staircases and towers.

You can watch the documentary and witness the epic re-lighting at 8pm at the Festival Lawn of Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The event is free. UFO sightings, however, are not guaranteed. 

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