Architecture NewsOpinion

Robert A. M. Stern Identifies 15 Postmodern Landmarks-in-Waiting

Death by Distaste: Preserving Postmodernism’s Legacy

The Atlantis Condominium, Miami, by Arquitectonica. *Photo © Norman McGrath, courtesy Arquitectonica*

In November 1996, The New York Times published a list that I prepared of 35 landmarks-in-waiting—buildings scattered throughout the boroughs that, in my opinion, deserved to be designated and preserved. In the three decades since, many of them have been pardoned from death sentences, including the central branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (Githens & Keally, 1941) and the Look Building (Emery Roth & Sons, 1950). Others sadly have become victims of misguided renovations or been razed.

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• Postmodernism

• Preservation

Today, a different generation of building is threatened: Postmodern architecture. With every year, the number of buildings and places from that era that are worthy of designation grows. Unfortunately, there isn’t a consistent approach to landmarking across the country. Age is a factor (in New York, 30 years is considered enough time to merit eligibility, but elsewhere 50 years is more typical), and the criteria by which various commissions evaluate architectural significance seem to continually change.

But, more often than not, the real enemy is bureaucratic indifference. In some minds, Postmodernism was solely a style that resulted in a fair share of widely detested buildings—but the movement was far more than that. It was a profound response to the cultural shifts of the late 20th century, emphasizing a rejection of the notion that progress necessitated a break from the past. Postmodernism thrived on the idea that buildings could embody a narrative, celebrate cultural identity, and engage with their surroundings in a positive manner. Architects accomplished this through time-honored strategies that Modernism had abhorred: referential motifs, juxtaposition, bold polychromy, or surface patterning.

Sometimes I tire of discussing Postmodernism, but my commitment to preservation remains. Death by distaste continues to jeopardize significant buildings from the latter part of the 20th century. In New York, Philip Johnson and John Burgee’s AT&T Building (1984) at 550 Madison Avenue fortunately survived—by the skin of its teeth. Many others have not been so lucky, as witnessed by the recent callous attitude toward the monumental Kevin Roche and John Dinkeloo–designed lobby of 60 Wall Street* (1988) in Lower Manhattan, the fate of which still hangs in the balance.

For RECORD, I have assembled a list of 15 Postmodern landmarks-in-waiting across the U.S. that I believe should be protected and even—dare I say?—loved. Although Postmodern houses are perhaps the best known examples, I have included high-rises by Arquitectonica and I.M. Pei, academic projects by John Outram and Venturi, Rauch & Scott Brown (whose Wu Hall at Princeton is currently undergoing maintenance and restoration), and buildings designed by Michael Graves and Arata Isozaki for the Walt Disney Company—all of which deserve to be handled with kid gloves.

*Editor’s Note: Since the publication of this list in the February issue of Architectural Record, the privately owned public space of 60 Wall Street has partially closed for renovation.

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