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....February 2, 6:46 PM |
| Bird's Eye View - Panorama Upgrade Start Of Museum Plan
By Jennifer Polland “Welcome to the 1964 World’s Fair. You are about to embark on a helicopter ride around New York City. Hold on tight: you’ve never seen the City like this.” I close my eyes and imagine that I am sitting in the helicopter-inspired train ride at the 1964 World’s Fair. I think about what it must have felt like to witness the Panorama, Robert Moses’ comprehensive architectural model of New York City, for the very first time. I envision the small helicopter car trudging up the track with New York City neatly laid out on the vast model below. I picture the car descending down the track, roving so close to the replica that I could actually see the Cyclone at Coney Island, the airplanes lined up at LaGuardia Airport and the army of bridges leading to Manhattan. I open my eyes and jump back to reality. There is no kiddy-car helicopter ride anymore, but there is something much better: a high-tech multimedia experience that brings the Panorama to life. Panorama Widely acknowledged as the museum’s main attraction, the Panorama lures about 200,000 people per year to the Queens Museum of Art. Built by Robert Moses for the 1964 World’s Fair, the 9,335 square foot architectural model includes every single building constructed before 1992 in all five boroughs of New York City. Comprising a total of 895,000 individual structures, the Panorama was and is the world’s largest architectural model, making it an apt and alluring exhibition for the World’s Fair. “We have a very diverse set of audiences,” Tom Finkelpearl, executive director of QMA, said. “You can be a kid or a grad student or an architect, and you’ll still love the Panorama. It is an attraction that crosses all boundaries.” Although Finkelpearl has been working at QMA for five years, and has seen the Panorama countless times, he still approaches it with a sense of awe. “Everyone who lives in the City comes here and tries to find their home,” Finkelpearl said while leaning over the glass railing, standing on his tip-toes and pointing out his own home in Rockaway. “There is a real sense of discovery.” A History of Neglect The Panorama is undoubtedly the museum’s crown jewel, but it occasionally falls into a state of neglect—or at the very least it becomes outdated. Between 1964 and 1970, a team of architectural model makers updated the model as the City changed. After 1970, alterations ceased and the Panorama sat as a frozen tribute to the New York City of yore. In 1992, a team stepped in again and changed 60,000 structures on the Panorama to accurately portray the City. Today the Panorama is a replica of New York City in 1992. The World Trade Center still stands, and places like Long Island City and Williamsburg, which are bursting with high-rises today, are remarkably bare. In the past 14 years, the real estate market has boomed and New York City has grown exponentially. Places that were once occupied only by dilapidated factories are now real estate hotspots. The face of New York is strikingly different today than it was only one decade ago, but the Panorama does not show it. “Between 1964 and 1992, there were 60,000 changes made,” Finkelpearl said. “I’ll bet that between 1992 and now, there are just as many changes that need to be made. Now things are being built all over the place.” Joining the 21st Century Until recently, the Panorama was imbued with its original 1964 lighting and sound systems. After undergoing a $750,000 renovation, the Panorama has finally joined the 21st century—at least from a technological standpoint. The QMA asked multimedia designer David Lackey to lead a project that would transform the Panorama into a high-tech experience. The new and improved Panorama will officially be open to the public on Feb. 4. “The Panorama is the most famous attribute of the museum and I think we kind of took it for granted,” Finkelpearl said. “We didn’t take advantage of this incredible asset.” The upgrade includes flexible multimedia lighting and complex sound and laser systems that can show the Panorama in different light conditions, highlight different landmarks or areas of the City, and recreate the sounds of New York. The new multimedia system can even show films or be used to make other presentations. The high-tech improvements will convert the exhibit from an archaic and simple presentation to a type of virtual tour of New York City. Once an hour, a 12-minute multimedia light tour will guide visitors around NYC’s major landmarks, relaying the history and sounds of the area while spotlighting each site. |
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