The votes are in! Elected officials have voted 11-10 against the resolution to demolish Paul Rudolph’s iconic Orange County Government Center in Goshen, New York. The long, intense debate on whether or not to keep and restore the 1970’s Brutalist building has added an immense amount of interest to an ever-growing discussion focused on the value of modern architecture.
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Poor maintenance, leaky roofs and a large flood in 2011 have caused extensive damage to the structure, leading to the abandonment of the building and Orange County Executive Ed Diana’s proposal to replace the modernist monument with this mundane neo-colonial office building, causing outraged amongst many in the architectural community.
Ed Diana insisted that proposal was based on a financial decision. However, advocates proved the restoration was in fact the cheaper option. Then, just last week, designLABarchitects stepped forward and presented this report to give an example of how a Rudolph building can be renovated successful, both physically and monetarily.
As preservationist celebrate, Ed Diana is reportedly “deeply disappointed” with the outcome. It will be interesting to see what happens next with the Orange County Government Center and the overall debate on preserving modern architecture.
Reference: Vanity Fair, The Wall Street Journal, ArchNewsNow
