Queens Museum of Art - Building History

Building History

The Queens Museum is located in the New York City Building, the historic pavilion designed by architect Aymar Embury II, and the only substantial structure remaining from the 1939 World’s Fair. From 1946 to 1950, the pavilion was the temporary home of the United Nations General Assembly, and was the site of numerous defining moments in the UN’s early years, including the creation of UNICEF, and the partitions of both Korea and Palestine. In 1964, the building was renovated by architect Daniel Chait and was once again used as the New York City Pavilion for the 1964 World’s Fair, where it displayed the Panorama of the City of New York. In 1972, with minor alterations, the north side of the New York City building was converted into the Queens Center for Art and Culture, later renamed the Queens Museum of Art. In 1994, the building underwent a renovation, with architect Rafael Viñoly reconfiguring the structure into galleries, classrooms, and offices.

Commencing in 2009, the museum will embark on a multi-million dollar expansion project that is slated to be completed in 2012. Grimshaw Architects along with the engineering firm of Ammann & Whitney have developed plans to double the museum’s size to 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2), as it will take over the entire New York City Building. The ice skating rink that has occupied the southern half of the building for six decades has been relocated to a new state-of-the-art recreational facility in the northeastern section of Flushing Meadows Corona Park.