Some mistakes had disastrous consequences
Over time, our architectural aspirations as a society have evolved in impressively futuristic ways. However, it is important to realize that these new buildings were built on the foundations of their predecessors. Unfortunately, this means many of our old architectural marvels have not withstood the test of time. Many beautiful old buildings such as libraries, churches, theaters, and museums have either been destroyed by wars or torn down to make way for parking lots and highways.
Click through this gallery and take a closer look at these remnants of architectural history to better understand our past.
The building, which can be seen here in a photo from 1906 shortly after construction was finished, was destroyed in 1965 and later replaced by the Kluczynski Federal Building.
Designed by architect James W. McLaughlin, the impressive library with its huge cast-iron book niches and spiral staircases was opened in 1874. It was demolished in 1955 when another library opened nearby, and today a parking lot and office building stand in its place.
The gothic revival style station, which can be seen in this photo from 1890, was badly damaged during World War II, and subsequently fell into disuse. It was finally demolished in 1965.
Bertrand Goldberg’s hospital from 1975 was a technical and architectural innovation: nine storeys standing on a five-storey rectangular base. It was demolished in 2013 to build a new biomedical laboratory.
This is a photo of the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on Fifth Avenue between 33rd and 34th Streets. It was built in 1897 and demolished in 1929 to make way for the construction of the Empire State Building.
Peacock Alley was a corridor that connected the Waldorf and Astoria hotels and stretched for 300 feet (90 meters). In the early 1900s, it became famous as a meeting place where celebrities showed off their fashion and jewelry.
The architecture of the Roxy may not look impressive from the outside, however...
The interior was a true work of art! But in 1960 it was torn down to make way for the expansion of the Taft Hotel and an office building.
This photo shows the original Penn Station in 1911, one year after its opening.
The building stood out from its surroundings. The great Baths of Caracalla in Rome were the basis of the station’s design.
Within a few decades, the station had become the hub it had promised, welcoming millions of travelers to the exciting metropolis. Sadly, it was largely demolished in 1963 and only the underground platforms and tracks remain in the new Penn Station.
The building pictured here in 1938 was demolished in 1973 after it had deteriorated to an inhabitable state.
Antonin Alexander founded the famous Cabaret Montmartre in 1892, which was unfortunately demolished in 1950 to make way for the expansion of a Monoprix supermarket.
The synagogue was completed in 1874 and built according to the plans of architect Adolf Wolff. In 1938 it was destroyed by order of the mayor Willy Liebel and the Gauleiter of Franconia, Julius Streicher, as they considered it architecturally offensive.
The museum, which opened in 1888, was demolished in 1960 and is now the Detroit Institute of Arts.
The palace was originally used as the Brazilian pavilion during the 1904 World Fair in the USA. It was then dismantled and transported by ship to Rio de Janeiro, where it was rebuilt in 1906. It served as a ballroom, the home of Congress, and the Brazilian Senate. But in 1975, then President Ernesto Geisel authorized its demolition, even though it was recognized as an official national landmark in 1974.
The stunning property, built in 1850, was destroyed under the Nazi occupation. Today, only the foundations, a park, and a minaret remain.
Built in 1840, the Michigan university building was demolished in 1950, after Haven Hall burned down.
The Spanish school was at the forefront of the battle for Madrid during the Spanish Civil War. It was bombed in 1936 and badly destroyed. It was rebuilt in 1959 in a simpler style, without the characteristic Herrerian slate-covered towers.
This is a picture of the brand new Shibe Park in 1909, the first baseball stadium made of steel and concrete.
It was later renamed Connie Mack Stadium and endured numerous challenges, including a devastating fire and squatter occupation, before being torn down in 1976.
After 1913, the Portland Hotel was overshadowed by the newer neighboring hotels. After financial problems, it was bought up and demolished in 1951 to make room for a parking lot.
This first version of the famous MSG was built in 1874 and offered space for 10,000 spectators. It was demolished in 1890 and replaced by a new building.
The second version was built between 1890 and 1926, and it was also the last to be erected on Madison Avenue.
The picture shows the interior of the second version of the now world-famous venue, during a convention for shoe manufacturers.
Erected in 1925, the new MSG seated 20,000 spectators and was located on the west side of 8th Avenue, between 49th and 50th Streets in Manhattan. After the opening of the fourth and current version, demolition began in 1968.
In the heyday of the New York World newspaper, the building was commissioned by Joseph Pulitzer in 1890. It was the tallest building in the city at the time, until it was demolished in 1955 to make way for the ramp to the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Pearl Monument was erected in 1982 to commemorate the first time Bahrain hosted the Gulf Cooperation Council. It became the epicenter of the Bahraini uprising in 2011, when thousands of protesters occupied the traffic circle following a protester's death. There were casualties in the police response, and the monument was demolished on the grounds that it had been “desecrated” by the protests and needed to be "cleansed."
Sources: (Arch Daily) (Artland Magazine) (Web Urbanist)
See also: The ugliest buildings in the world
These historic buildings were demolished... But why?
From politics to parking lots, there's plenty of blame to go around
TRAVEL History
Over time, our architectural aspirations as a society have evolved in impressively futuristic ways. However, it is important to realize that these new buildings were built on the foundations of their predecessors. Unfortunately, this means many of our old architectural marvels have not withstood the test of time. Many beautiful old buildings such as libraries, churches, theaters, and museums have either been destroyed by wars or torn down to make way for parking lots and highways.
Click through this gallery and take a closer look at these remnants of architectural history to better understand our past.