PianoWorld,

This topic is not directly piano related (although it's related to music in the sense that architecture is said to be frozen music); I'll understand if it's purged.

The death of Isaac Stern has reminded us all that if it wasn't for his fight, Carengie Hall would not exist today. It simply floors me to think that it was going to be torn down!? I can't imagine that. Unfortunately, other buildings in our past didn't fare so well. Here in NY, I'm thinking of the old Penn station, which from all accounts I've read was a grand and glorious building.

It seems to me that we don't value our beautiful old buildings very much. Why do you think this is? Do you know of grand buildings in your area that have come under the butcher's knife?

Is it because we are such a young nation? Is it because our buildings aren't old enough? Is it lack of aethetics? Greed?

Bernard:

Part of the thinking - and only a part, I'm sure - is that if a newer (bigger?) building (or even a parking lot) can bring in more revenue than the old relic that's taking up the space, the logic (?) is to get rid of the relic.

America - at least corporate America, to a degree - doesn't seem to have much of a sense of architectural aesthetics - it seems.
Not that there isn't some beautiful modern architecture; I think there is. It's still sad, however, to see some old irreplaceable vestiges of our past fall to the wrecking ball - or whatever else one uses these days to replace the past.