Design
Why Is MoMA Planning to Destroy a Beloved Work of Contemporary Architecture?
The museum's expansion means destroying 'The Folk,' a quirky, celebrated building next door.
On April 10th, MoMA announced that it intends to tear down the former home of the American Folk Art Museum. This six-story, townhouse-scale building stands between MoMA and a planned 72-story expansion.
This would sound like an everyday New York story were it not for the fact that this little building is regarded as an important work of 21st-century architecture, designed by two celebrated architects, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien. With its hand-crafted white bronze façade, it presents itself as a cabinet of curiosity, snuggled against MoMA’s glass box.