Gone But Not Forgotten: Remembering the loss of Architectural Treasures.

Tyler Xyroadia · #1 Posted **Dec 18, 2011, 11:33 AM**

The Singer Building and Penn Stations:

Teo Iconic Examples of works of art that were torn down and lost for ever to build some modern monstrosity.
Across America, largely during the 60's and 70's there was an architectural "Holocaust" as countless Turn of the century and art deco works were torn down to make way for soulless glass and concrete boxes.

As such, for the purpose of this thread Let us remember what was lost to us.
Penn Station and the Singer building are perhaps the most famous, but there are many many others in Cities all across America.

I would like to invite all forum members to post their own remembered buildings, the city and date they were destroyed so we can all remember what has been lost.

RCDC · #2 Posted **Dec 18, 2011, 6:22 PM**

Hotels - Couple from Atlantic City that piss me off:

Reproduction Number: LC-D4-71050
Detroit Publishing Company
Library of Congress
whitewall buick
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37603091@N02/4009204628/

found in Judy's photo box
Doctor Casino
http://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorc...7594434128093/

One from DC:

http://dcmud.blogspot.com/2011/11/lo...5th-and-v.html

Roadcruiser1 · #3 Posted **Dec 18, 2011, 6:46 PM**

Two sad losses here.

The first one is the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Destroyed by terrorists on 9/11/2001.

The second one is the Buddhas of Bamiyan. It stood for centuries before being destroyed by the Taliban in March, 2001

photoLith · #4 Posted **Dec 18, 2011, 7:08 PM**

^
Thanks man, I wasnt aware that the twin towers were destroyed by terrorists on 9/11/2001. Tell me more.

M II A II R II K · #5 Posted **Dec 18, 2011, 7:22 PM**

I wouldn't class them as architectural treasures either.

jd3189 · #6 Posted **Dec 18, 2011, 7:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCDC

Hotels - Couple from Atlantic City that piss me off:

Reproduction Number: LC-D4-71050
Detroit Publishing Company
Library of Congress
whitewall buick
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37603091@N02/4009204628/

found in Judy's photo box
Doctor Casino
http://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorc...7594434128093/

One from DC:

http://dcmud.blogspot.com/2011/11/lo...5th-and-v.html

Kinda makes you wonder that back then, America had more than enough buildings to compete with the grandeur of European counterparts. It's depressing.

marvelfannumber1 · #7 Posted **Dec 18, 2011, 7:34 PM**

The World building in New York. Demolished in 1955 to make way for a entrance ramp. A f***ing entrance ramp

Wikipedia.org

The New york tribune building (to the left). Also demolished in 1955 to make way for...well just watch.

nycarchitecture.com

Before:

Wikipedia.org

After:

The city hall post office in new york was demolished in 1939 to make way for an extension of city hall park.

nycarchitecture.com

photoLith · #8 Posted **Dec 18, 2011, 7:36 PM**

It is so depressing what morons in the past have destroyed and are still destroying to this day. I wish that we could build stuff like that again. We can, but most developers are too lazy and cheap to build beautiful buildings like that anymore. I mean, even cheaply done buildings from the 1800s are incredibly beautiful today, at least to me they are. For example, a church built in 1890 would most likely be awe inspiring or at least well crafted. Fast forward to today, and lots of suburban churches are built out of tin siding and steel beams to support the structure.

RCDC · #9 Posted **Dec 18, 2011, 10:52 PM**

Couple from Minneapolis:

John McNab
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmcn...l-1135583@N20/

:

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
google street

And:

whitewall buick
http://www.flickr.com/photos/3760309...l-1135583@N20/

:

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
google street

Awesome huh? They've got modern wiring for today's connected living, efficient floor plans, and other amenities the fast pace of business needs in order to stay on top of their competitive edge.

photoLith · #10 Posted **Dec 18, 2011, 10:55 PM**

^
Oh God, what the hell were they thinking? I wish I could punch out the people that thought it was a good idea to tear down those beauties.

M II A II R II K · #11 Posted **Dec 18, 2011, 10:56 PM**

And what makes it worse is that today the artistic element that goes into buildings doesn't compare to those old concrete buildings like those with engravings, statues, columns, gremlins, gargoyles, shapes, etc.

Maybe when construction companies can feed random slabs of concrete into a computerized factory it can carve out these things through robotics and a computer program to pump these things out en masse, as well as other masterpieces even if it's more representative of modern architecture.

Tyler Xyroadia · #12 Posted **Dec 18, 2011, 10:56 PM**

RCDC?
Do oyu know the Dates these buildings were taken down?

jg6544 · #13 Posted **Dec 18, 2011, 11:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyler Xyroadia

The Singer Building and Penn Stations:

Teo Iconic Examples of works of art that were torn down and lost for ever to build some modern monstrosity.
Across America, largely during the 60's and 70's there was an architectural "Holocaust" as countless Turn of the century and art deco works were torn down to make way for soulless glass and concrete boxes.

As such, for the purpose of this thread Let us remember what was lost to us.
Penn Station and the Singer building are perhaps the most famous, but there are many many others in Cities all across America.

I would like to invite all forum members to post their own remembered buildings, the city and date they were destroyed so we can all remember what has been lost.

Not since the sack of Rome has there been an example of wanton, pointless, barbarian destruction to equal the demolition of Penn Station.

photoLith · #14 Posted **Dec 18, 2011, 11:14 PM**

^
As terrible as destroying Penn Station was, it helped save countless other buildings and historic places across the country. Its destruction inspired the historic preservation movement. So, if it hadnt been destroyed, many of our cities would have lost even more than they did.

RCDC · #15 Posted **Dec 18, 2011, 11:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyler Xyroadia

RCDC?
Do oyu know the Dates these buildings were taken down?

First 3 demolished in 70s:

Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel - 1979
Traymore Hotel - 1972
Dunbar Hotel - 1974

For the Minneapolis buildings, the second one:

"It stood from 1890 until it was torn down starting in 1961 as part of major urban renewal efforts in the city that saw about 40% of the downtown district razed and replaced with new structures."

http://archiseek.com/2009/1890-metro...lis-minnesota/

so the other one may have been demolished around the same time.

Roadcruiser1 · #16 Posted **Dec 19, 2011, 12:13 AM**

This is the Brooklyn Savings Bank building.

Quote:

The Brooklyn Savings Bank is said to have been "The first and foremost example of neoclassic architecture in Brooklyn Heights". It's demolition has accordingly been lamented as "Among the great landmark losses in New York history".

http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2011...bank-building/

It was demolished to make room for a housing project sadly.

ChiSoxRox · #17 Posted **Dec 19, 2011, 1:29 AM**

I feel Chicago has done a better job than most keeping its old buildings downtown, but it too has lost some beauties.

The Schiller Building, 1892 on Randolph between Dearborn and Clark, torn down for a parking structue

The old Chicago Stock Exchange, 1894, corner of LaSalle and Washington. A photographer (who took the above photo) trying to document the building during its demolition was killed by collapsing rubble.

All that's left is the arch

MolsonExport · #18 Posted **Dec 19, 2011, 2:48 AM**

Lord, what a depressing thread. Like the firebombing of Dresden, but without the war, fire, and bombs. Just the worst weapon of all: stupidity.

Tyler Xyroadia · #19 Posted **Dec 19, 2011, 3:57 AM**

It seems depressing, but that is why we do it.
So as long as we remember, they shall not be lost forever.

arkitekte · #20 Posted **Dec 19, 2011, 5:19 AM**

Memphis

2nd and Madison

Replaced with

Images taken from: http://gatesofmemphis.blogspot.com/2...advantage.html

Memphis has a number of examples of buildings that have been vacant for decades that are almost impossible for redevelopment and future profit. Its sad the city has let most of them go this long. These two are the most popular.

Sears Crosstown. Recently there have been some talks of restoring it, but no one has that much money.

Sterick Building. Once the tallest building in the South, has been vacant for 30 or so years. The city doesn't have the money to fix it up, or tear it down (which is a good thing)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sterickbuilding.jpg

On a cultural note, the city really screwed up when they cleared out most of the old Blues clubs and musician neighborhoods on Beale St. to create parking lots and run down project housing. The Beale St. we have now is a watered down fake version (from what I've heard from various old folks, I'm way too young to know by fact) that caters to tourist (of course to make money). The city shoved out the very people who put Memphis on the map. So now instead of 5-6 blocks of Blues and a functioning community, you only get 2 with no community.