AMR
December 3, 2008
Art 1000C: Mon./Wed. 3:55pm – 5:20pm
Professor Liza Papi
Final Paper

The Art of Architecture:
The Panorama of the City of New York (1964)
Created by
Robert Moses (December 18, 1888–July 29, 1981)

Introduction The crown jewel of the Queens Museum of Art is the Panorama of New York City that was created for the 1964 World Fair. Though considered to be an architectural wonder, the artistry behind cannot be denied. Known for its topographical accuracy, the Panorama was conceptually created by Robert Moses, though it took hundreds of workers (from architects to construction workers) to see it to fruition.
Understanding the “Moses Era” Robert Moses was considered the number one builder of the mid-20th Century. His influence on New York City is undeniable, his vision of city landscaping being responsible for thousands of the city’s bridges, highways, buildings and parkways. At a time, he was arguably the most powerful man in New York City. However, his ideology of architecture and constant development left much to be desired by many people from government officials to local artists. Many blamed him for pushing out the middle class of the city and the emphasis on highways and not public transportation. His industrialized thinking is what brought both the World’s Fair (in 1939 and 1964) to New York and in connection the Panorama of New York City. The Panorama, with its structuralized detail dazzles both architect and artist alike. Furthermore, it may have been one of the only works of Robert Moses that can be appreciated by such a general group of people.
Structural Integrity One of the Panorama’s most profound facts is that it was built to scale. The over 895,000 buildings made of wood and plastic were created to scale; a measured inch on the structure equals 100 feet. It was constructed at the Lester Associates Workshops