Obituary: Architectural Treasure Declared DOA

From its distinct look (a facade which seems, to me, greatly reminiscent of Georges Braque's "Mandora"), to the unique medium of its structure (tombasil, an alloy of white bronze never before used in a major architectural endeavor), the former locale of the renowned American Museum of Folk Art is truly a work of genius. Built in 2001 by husband and wife duo Tom Williams and Billie Tsien, the building has won numerous awards and has been praised by architectural professionals as well as lay admirers for the entirety of its 13 years of life; a life that is about to come to a very undignified end at the hands of The Museum of Modern Art. And a wrecking ball.

The Museum of Modern Art has recently announced its decision to demolish its neighboring building, the American Museum of Folk Art; a structure considered by many to be a sculpture capturing the history and culture of the surrounding neighborhood. However, these sentiments seem to mean nothing to the voices of MoMA, who  view the building as a simple plot of land, waiting to be utilized by the modern art giant. With the help of the Architectural Firm of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, MoMA will expand its square footage to cover the land which is now the current home of The American Folk Art building--leaving none of the building's original artistic integrity intact. Though it is true that the wildly popular Museum of Modern Art could use more space in order to combat traffic problems throughout the 630,000 square foot gallery, their blatant disregard of The American Museum of Folk Art, a building which has been called an icon of New York, as well as their refusal to build around and behind the existing structure is a complete disrespect for the sheer beauty and artistry of the building.

The American Museum of Folk Art building embodies the spirit of New York; a place where cultures mix and blend and where diversity is king. The building itself expresses this ideal. It is truly special; a piece of art which epitomizes uniqueness, an acute sense of  handcrafted care, and a monumental majesty. The structure may be small, but its ability to stand out in a city in which hard-and-fast modernity is quickly becoming the norm is something that does not deserve a destructive end--especially when that end is being controlled (ironically) by a world renowned institution of the arts (MoMA)--a place which is supposed to preserve and respect the pieces of art in its care. The question seems to be as follows: has MoMA been taken over by the idea of "bigger is better" and lost its artist's perspective? Have its ideals of creativity and individuality been taken over by those of profit and size?


The American Museum of Folk Art building is art. It is a monument. You wouldn't paint over a DaVinci. You shouldn't build over a Williams and Tsien. It is my opinion that to tear down such a inspiring structure would be a crime against artistic creativity, and a win for the germ of homogeneity which  has begun to infiltrate the body of architecture under a false identity of "modernity".

Sources:

• Williams, Tod, and Billie Tsien. "Regarding the Folk Art Museum." Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. N.p., 8 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
• Williams, Tod, and Billie Tsien. "Selection of Awards." Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
•  Goldberger, Paul. "Friendly Fire on the Culture Front? Why the Museum of Modern Art Is Making a Fatal Mistake." Vanity Fair. Conde Nast, 8 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
• "American Folk Art Museum." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
• Williams, Todd, and Billie Tsien. "American Folk Art MuseumTod Williams Billie Tsien." American Folk Art Museum. Arcspace, 03 Mar. 2003. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
• Lowry, Glenn D., and Diller Scofidio + Renfro. "BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE: A WORK IN PROGRESS." MoMA. The Museum of Modern Art, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
• Pogrebin, Robin. "Critics Voice Objections to MoMA’s Plan to Take Down Folk Art Museum." ArtsBeat Critics Voice Objections to MoMAs Plan to Take Down Folk Art Museum Comments. New York Times, 9 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
• Structuretone. American Folk Art Museum. N.d. Photograph. New York, New York. Structuretone. Structure Tone, 2013. Web. 26 Jan. 2014. <http://www.structuretone.com/st/index.nsf/O/AmericanFolkArtMuseum?OpenDocument&>.