POLL: Should the New York State Pavilion Get a Creative Makeover?

Yesterday, 6sqft shared some of the best and wackiest proposals from an ideas competition reimagining Philip Johnson‘s iconic New York State Pavilion. Built for the 1964-65 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, it’s struggled in recent years to find financial support, and the competition is a way to drum up enthusiasm for the necessary $52 restoration.

The ideas ranged from the expected (elevated parks, event spaces) to the socially conscious (refugee housing, a homeless shelter) to the totally out there (a cheeseburger museum, a UFO landing pad). And while a new incarnation for the historic site would certainly draw visitors and interest, is that the appropriate way to honor the cultural and architectural merit of a structure that was built for a specific purpose at a very special point in time? Plus, preservationists have already secured close to $6 million for repairs, and the structure got a $3 million paint job last year.

RELATED:

• Competition Reimagines New York State Pavilion As a Cheeseburger Museum, Hanging Meadow
• Philip Johnson’s New York State Pavilion Debuts Its ‘American Cheese Yellow’ Paint Job
• Philip Johnson’s “Tent of Tomorrow” Receives $5.8M for Its Restoration

Poll images: Competition entries (top); New paint job via Photo via mar.mohan/Instagram (bottom)