The 1984 Louisiana World Exposition, a World's Fair, was held on an 84 acre site along the Mississippi River in New Orleans 100 years after the city's earlier World's Fair, the World Cotton Centennial in 1884. Its theme was "The World of Rivers - Fresh Waters as a Source of Life."
The fair is fondly remembered by many New Orleans residents for providing “a party on the river” as well as for its noteworthy post-modern architecture including the groundbreaking Wonderwall designed by noted architect Charles Moore working with August Perez Associates.
An argument could be made that modern-day tourism in New Orleans sprang from the Fair; from it came the construction of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the Riverwalk and the redevelopment of the Warehouse District, which spurred a cultural renaissance that included The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, the Woldenberg Riverfront Park, world renowned restaurants, the Julia Street art galleries and the Children's, Ogden and D-Day museums, among others.
The Fair and the Convention Center spurred what has been billions of dollars in tourism. In 1980, there were only 18,500 hotel rooms in the New Orleans area. But the city added 7,000 hotel rooms leading up to the 1984 World's Fair.
Working through the administrations of two New Orleans mayors, Moon Landrieu and Dutch Morial, as well as City Executive, Winston Lill, Robin Riley prepared the initial plans in 1977 and was involved in shaping the urban strategy leading to the opening of the Fair on Saturday, May 12, 1984. The Fair ended on November 11, 1984.
Robin Riley was the architect for the Egyptian Exhibit and Raid, the New Orleans Exhibit.
