Architecture
30-Story Building Built In 15 Days
Paul Rudolph Building in Goshen, N.Y., Faces Threat – NYTimes.com
52 years ago, they tore down the ugly Pennsylvania Station and replaced it with a more modern station, office building, and sports complex. We all know how that worked out.
A Massive Facelift for Eastern Germany
Conventional wisdom in many American cities is that many buildings are too far gone and damaged to be restored to their former glory. But look what they did in East Germany in the first decades after their re-unification.
Requiem for a Nightmare – CityLab
Most of the architecture of the 1950s and 1960s is tired, old, and badly out of fashion. However, if we keep knocking it down, at some point we will be horrified at the destruction of this historically significant buildings of an begone era.
Pennsylvania Station was 63 years old when it was demolished. Hardly historic at the that time -- indeed there was very little organized opposition to it's demolition. But soon after it was gone, people realized what a mistake it was. Everytime we tear down a historic structure, we lose a bit more of our history.
The 7 Ugliest Government Buildings In Washington, D.C
50 or 60 years out, most buildings are at the lowest point in career. They have seen decades of deferred and delayed maintenance, often hastily and incomplete repairs made by grounds staff to keep them operating.
That doesn't mean buildings can't be restored, or brought back to original beauty, with some care and efforts to make them fit contemporary needs.
Rethinking a Spurned Landmark
50 years ago, many people thought Pennsylvania Station wasn't worth saving. The major railroads were bankrupt, the station build for an earlier era, taking up valuable space in a urban downtown. But soon after they lost it, they realized how unique and beautiful the building was. People see the run-down Orange County Office Building, and do not see the potential, should it be brought up to modern standards.