Masterpieces of Architecture Torn Down (For Profit)

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

I was thinking about this today, it seems more and more that dazzling, fantastic, and beautiful structures get torn down for strip malls and other shit built to look the same as everything else. I went back to a city I used to live in and a building dating to the 1920's is getting ripped and to be replaced by nothing but a fucking parking lot. I know that's not very antiquated by Old World standards, but goddamn, What the hell happened to the idea that a building should look proud? bold? And most of all, should have a character of its own?

Anyway, I'll start off with the granddaddy of them all, perhaps the boldest of all, torn down for the fucking air space above it:

Pennsylvania Station, New York City

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Penn_Station3.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Penn_Station1.jpg

http://www.nyc-architecture.com/SPEC/GON004-A02.jpg

While today MSG is built on it, I find it a shame that such a grand structure was torn down to make way/

Oh, and if you're going to catch Acela up to Boston or whatnot, you can forget about a nice view in the waiting room:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/onewheel65/SLs-vubVPVI/AAAAAAAABaM/KSJnbt3J9wM/s800/P1050352.JPG

A huge fucking shame in my opinion.

And yes, I know people are starving at the moment and this may look like a small thing to worry about but I feel quite strong on the issue anyway. The shortsightedness that allowed this to happen is nothing short of an atrocity in my opinion.

Anyone else feel this sentiment also? Any masterpiece you know of that's been knocked down to make way?

[Cult of Reason]

That station looks amazing! Such a shame.

[NecroCommie]

Maaa-aaan!

As a huge friend of aesthetics I feel this is such a disgrace! Such a beautiful station, with such beautiful arcitechture.

Oh, anyone else hate this modern "arcitechture"? Making everything out of glass and revealing support structures? And what ugly support structures they are! My library is built this way, and its just awful. I preferred the old library which was basically a cube of tiles, but at least it was a cozy cube of tiles.

I somewhat understand when huge colossal masterpieces are opposed when they are being built, but it is only stupid to support tearing them down if they are already complete.

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

Maaa-aaan!

As a huge friend of aesthetics I feel this is such a disgrace! Such a beautiful station, with such beautiful arcitechture.

Oh, anyone else hate this modern "arcitechture"? Making everything out of glass and revealing support structures? And what ugly support structures they are! My library is built this way, and its just awful. I preferred the old library which was basically a cube of tiles, but at least it was a cozy cube of tiles.

LoL I know what you mean. Sometimes 'modern' just seems to be a euphemism for 'ugly.'

But I think that some buildings of the style you describe can pull it off. For example, there's a train station in Brussels I've seen pictures of that I believe captures it well, though I forget the name of it. I believe it serves the TGV though I could be mistaken. I can't find a picture of it now, but it basically has this steel-rib design that looks impressive.


I somewhat understand when huge colossal masterpieces are opposed when they are being built, but it is only stupid to support tearing them down if they are already complete.Exactly. In other words, I'd never use thousands of slaves to build an arena for gladiatorial combat, but if my city had an ancient example of such I'd be proud as hell.

Another thing, too, is that those buildings are living, breathing testaments to the era before that is too often paved over for new shit. And when I say shit I mean shit.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

RE: Pennsylvania Station

They tore down THAT? Unless it was structurally unsound or on the verge of collapse or something like that, there is absolutely no excuse for demolishing such a fine example of architecture.

It reminds me of a Roman forum or something along those lines. Very attractive.

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

I agree completely NoXion, it really was a monument on par with the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty (as far as the US goes).

If there was a silver lining to the demolition, it was that it really woke New Yorkers up when they realized that something truly priceless had been lost. It was torn up at the height of NYC's 'moderzination' movement and this demolition pushed public sentiment over the edge.

Within a year of the loss of Penn Station, an attempt was made to demolish the almost equally impressive Grand Central Terminal, but that was stopped dead in its tracks.

But in the US at least, it's a recurring problem. For example, as late as 60 years ago every single American city of any size had a robust streetcar system. However, GM was successfully able to lobby that because they couldn't turn a profit, they should be torn up (which is a bit ironic, to say the least) and bought many of the systems itself and tore them out.....and now dozens of cities are ponying up billions in order to put the same lines back in. That's what happens when long-term thinking is replaced by the quest for short-term profit. I'm actually going to post a thread on it when I have some time, stay tuned LoL

[Bright Banana Beard]

Last time I been in Penn Station, they are still under construction and it has a huge tract of travel, it is such a shame that the original structure disappear.