Expo 1992 is an abandoned world fair exposition located in Seville, Spain. It took place took place from Monday, April 20 to Monday, October 12, 1992 and 41 million people visited over the 6 months it was open. Expo’92 was organized to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus. It was themed “The Age of Discovery.” and was intended to promote the city and encourage tourism, while displaying the city’s industrial and cultural heritage.
While many of the pavilions were demolished after the fair closed, some structures were left to slowly decay over time. Many of facilities in Seville remain, gathering dust and weeds and rust.
Today the site is divided between a research and development park called Cartuja 93 and a theme park called Isla Mágica, the ‘Magic Island’, which also hosts the popular Pavilion of Spain. The Government of Canada donated the Canadian Pavilion to build a new trade school.
With the passing of the years, there are still abandoned pavilions in Seville waiting to be put to some use; however, in this part of the city there are still hidden corners of what was once this important event. Some other abandoned areas are cordoned off with construction fences, another sign that the slow march of progress only pauses for a time, but does not stall forever.
Expo 92 in Seville is a massive site and you could quite easily spend a whole day observing the remains of pavilions. However, the large area of Cartuja therefore certainly cannot be said to be dead or abandoned. The Navigation Pavilion operates as a museum of navigation and its surroundings have undergone great urban modifications several years ago.
Italy Pavilion has best survived the passing of time. It had a circular cinema that imitated a terrestrial globe and that had the ability to ignite the senses. It also had a satellite that travelled from one end of the pavilion to the other.
Urbex Pictures
How To Get To The Expo 92
From the city of Seville, you can get to the Isla de la Cartuja, where the Expo 92 pavilions are located by public transport:
- Lines 03, C1, M-111, by bus.
- Lines C1, C3, by train.
- Line L1, by metro.
Bus stations near the Isla de la Cartuja in Seville:
- Américo Vespucio (Louis Braille): 5 min walk.
- Torneo (Puerta de San Juan): 15 min walk.
