~THE CANDELA STRUCTURES/CITY RELIQUARY MUSEUM

candela structures

THE CANDELA STRUCTURES – A NYC HISTORY MYSTERY !!
CURATED BY: KIRSTEN HIVELY & PAUL LUCAS
OPENING RECEPTION – TO-DAY !! – SAT – MAY 16 / 7-10 PM
the exhibit runs thru JUNE 28, 2009
THE CITY RELIQUARY MUSEUM – 370 METROPOLITAN – WILLIAMSBURG – BROOKLYN

city req candela # 2

candela # 3

above: CANDELA STRUCTURES – 1964 WORLD’S FAIR, NYC, NY
all photos courtesy: CITY RELIQUARY MUSEUM.

from the press release:

“Have you seen these prefab structures? aren’t they cool ?” – YES !!!

“They’re located on the Flushing Bay Promenade in Queens, a few hundred yards from the Mets’ new stadium.
Millions of people have seen them over the past 45 years, but almost nobody knows anything about them.
‘The Candela Structures: A New York City History Mystery’ … tells the story of these under-appreciated fiberglass formations and the surprising culture of mystery and misinformation surrounding the, from their origins as exhibit spaces during the 1964 World’s fair to their current status as neglected but enduring landmarks on the Queens waterfront.
The exhibit has been produced by journalist PAUL LUKAS and architect KRISTEN HIVELY, who developed a crush on the Candela structures last year and decided to investigate their backstory. What began as a quick research project turned into an eight-month odyssey of dead ends, wrong turns, and architectural obsession. The resulting exhibit should give these under-rated structures the attention they’ve long deserved.”

at the opening reception – guests will be provided ‘SAVE THE CANDELAS’ letters and envelopes, so that they can petition city officials to provide the candelas with sorely needed repairs.

Beer and other refreshments will be provided. DJ Stacher will kick out mid-1960s pop-garage, psychedlia & Shea Stadium live concert hits.