Essay On World Fairs

Stan Mathews Arch-310
Early to Modern Architecture
Research Paper
World Fairs can be traced back to the middle ages, but the forms of these fairs have changed since. These modern fairs are displays of technology, inventions, fine arts, entertainment, culture, and varies of architecture. They are held in temporary locations around the world. These modern fair traditions began in 1754 in Britain, where their goal was to encourage advance industry ideas to the people who visited. Then in 1798, France held a fair to distribute the countries leftover gods from revolutionary stockpiles, to demonstrate that France was standing strong. It is said that the first official modern fair was London’s 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition. Joseph Paxton designed the ginormous, 1,851-feet long, building with an iron frame and glass walls. The importance of constructing with this system was the speed in which it was built. The materials were also self-supporting, making the cost of building less then normal. These types of fairs continued to spread throughout Europe and eventually extended over to the United States.
In 1893 Chicago, Illinois, hosted the World’s Columbian Exposition. The original intention of the exposition was to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s arrival to America. The location of where this fair was up in the air between, New York, St. Louis, and Washington D.C. but it was decided that Chicago was the best fit. This Fair can be broken down into three main sections, the Court of Honor, the State buildings, and lastly, the Midway. Each section of the fair was used to show America’s progress and culture. The redesigning of the landscape began in 1891 in Jackson Park. The architecture firm of Olmsted, Vaux & Co., led by Fre...

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...nct areas, Court of Honor, State and Foreign Buildings, and the Midway, the Chicago’s World fair, had an enormous impact on the architectural, cultural, and technological impact on the United States. The uniformed organization of the Court on Honor demonstrated the unity found in the country. As well as how it was continuously developing, seen in Louis Sullivan’s Transportation Building. Through the State and foreign buildings, social and cultural ideas were on display and allowed people to experience a potion of the areas without having to move very far. Similarly the exhibitions on the Midway brought cultural aspects to the fair. Lastly, the entire fair would not be what it was remembered for without the extensive use of electricity. Between the trains, radiant lights, and slew of inventions, the fair transformed into a magical space people could wonder through.