The Folk Art Museum in New York City, by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects.  Photo: Ozier Muhammad for NYTimes. 

When the news broke that MoMA was planning on demolishing the former American Folk Art Museum, the design community responded with a gigantic petition to preserve the architectural gem, designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, which had only opened in 2001. Fortunately, the fierce reaction looks to have stymied the Goliath neighbor-next-door from bulldozing. Or perhaps MoMA brass took notice of the revival of Arrested Development, the cult TV comedy premiering a final season on Netflix seven years after Fox prematurely canceled it. (Yeah … just go with it.)

But unlike TV shows, when it comes to architecture, once the building explodes, there’s no wrangling up cast members for a reunion. Which is why it’s so important to fight to save buildings; just take a look at the at-risk Robin Hood Gardens, which has managed to stay standing (so far) thanks to petitions signed by the likes of Richard Rogers and Zaha Hadid.

So, a cautionary tale: We’ve gathered a list of 11 buildings that we think were demolished too soon. Lament their demise? Think they deserved to R.I.P.? Or have other suggestions for buildings that should have been renewed for another season? Let us know in the comments section below.

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This house “may not look like much, kid, but she’s got it where it counts.” (No, we love this house.)

Full disclosure: We’ll take about any excuse to talk about Star Wars. But this time we’ve got a legitimate reason: May 4 is international Star Wars Day! This Saturday, let your geek flag fly high, and have no shame in putting that old Boba Fett Halloween costume to use. We thought we’d start the festivities a little early (we don’t work on Saturday!) with this list of buildings that were clearly inspired by (or that influenced) the look and feel of the Bearded One’s timeless space opera.

Who knows want the architecture of Episode VII will look like, but if it’s anything like these structures, we’d approve. Click through to see them all. 

P.S. May the fourth be with you!

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Another architectural masterpiece faces the threat of its aesthetic dignity being destroyed—but there’s something you can do about it! One of the world’s most exquisite examples of organic architecture, the Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas was built in 1980 by E. Fay Jones, an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright. A stunning glass and steel structure surrounded by a thick patch of trees, the chapel has become a beloved architectural monument for the local community architecture enthusiasts across the world.

Recently, the Southwest Power Company (SWEPCO) filed an application to the Arkansas Public Service Commission (APSC) to build a 48-mile-long high voltage transmission line across Northwest Arkansas that intrudes on the chapel’s pristine landscape. Thus far, a number of Eureka Springs residents have vocalized their opposition to the power line; however much more supported is needed. Let your voice be heard, and sign the petition opposing the SWEPCO project, and save the site of this architectural wonder from being ruined! Click through to see more of the magnificent chapel. 

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The one good thing about tax day? The nice tax refund that we—or, well, some of us—get in the mail, courtesy of the US or state government. And while we should be putting that money away for safekeeping, well, what’s the fun in that? From all-out culinary experiences to diamond-encrusted watches, here are some of the ways we wish we were spending our tax return—and, this being Architizer—we’ve included the best places to splurge too, so, you know, you can do so in style. Click through to see all our picks!

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Architect Paolo Soleri, best known for the experimental city Arcosanti—a symbol of countercultural utopianism in the high Arizona desert— died yesterday at his home. The Italian-born revolutionary, and founder of the educational Cosanti Foundation, was 93.

One of the last remaining direct apprentices of Frank Lloyd Wright, Soleri developed his own philosophy called “arcology,” a combination of architecture and ecology, which many looked to as a means to combat suburban sprawl. While many of his projects were never realized, Soleri’s manifesto envisioned urban landscapes of complex but compact cities that would eliminate the need for cars and preserve a larger portion of the natural lanscape. Read more.

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“Blown Away Man” by Steven Steigman, featuring the LC2 chair designed by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, and Charlotte Perriand.

Architects have long used their talents to design more than buildings. One favorite object of their affection: the chair. From Le Corbusier to Frank Lloyd Wright, illustrious architects have created some of the world’s most-iconic recliners, stools, chaise longues, and other objects devoted to resting our derrieres. Here, just in time for the 2013 Salone del Mobile in Milan, we feature a collection of all-star chairs produced in the past century for Cassina, the venerable Italian furniture maker. Take a seat and enjoy the tour!

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Frank Lloyd Wright’s Millard House; Photos: Scott Mayoral

Only Frank Lloyd Wright could come up with the world’s most expensive modular home. Wright’s 1923 Millard House has been listed for sale by Crosy Doe Associates, WSJ Magazine (and Architizer A+ Award media sponsor) tells us — and despite the modular concrete construction the home sports, it’s likely that you can’t afford it. The house, which Wright affectionately called ”La Miniatura,” represents the architect’s first foray into modular building, where he attempted to marry mass-produced building materials with ornamentation. The home’s now-famous cruciform-stamped concrete blocks variegate light and shadow while the recurring pattern breaks up the dullness of the bare concrete walls. The idea was that the concrete block was cheap to both produce and customize, thus making it possible to design and build a quality, quasi-bespoke house at minimal costs. As it turned out, however, construction costs nearly doubled the original estimates, and the construction methods (using mortar to adhere the network of blocks together) proved faulty, (i.e. the roof leaked).

Still, Wright thought very highly of the house, which he indirectly compared to St. Peter’s in Rome. The home continues to grow in eminence, and it’s widely considered one of L.A.’s greatest architectural sites. All of which factors into the nearly $4,495,000 price tag. See more about the sale at WSJ.”

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The inspiration behind the Stark Residence in Iron Man

Not every movie, no matter how good, deserves a sequel. The same applies to posts, but we couldn’t help ourselves. Still riding the Oscar highs (and lows…), we spent this past week streaming films to find more of Architecture in Movies (see the original here). Just don’t call it double dipping!

While the last post limited itself to contemporary architecture, this time round we looked back to the classics. From Hollywood villas by Wright and Lautner to mid-century icons by Gropius and Le Corbusier, these are  some of the best buildings to have ever graced the silver screen. Click through to see them all!

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How far would you go to save a Frank Lloyd Wright house? If you’re die-hard Wright fan and architect Paolo Bulletti, you’d go as far as buying the endangered structure and having it relocated to a safer locale—in this case, the quaint hillside town of Fiesole, just outside of Florence. According to a NYTimes report, Bulletti wants to purchase Wright’s 1954 Bachman Wilson House in Millstone, New Jersey, dismantle it and then ship it to Italy. Read more.

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Photo: via sheknows

When Frank Lloyd Wright passed away in 1959, he left Florida Southern College with the largest collection of his designs at any one location. The campus, located in Lakeland, Florida, is home to a whopping 12 FLW-designed buildings—just six structures short of the 18 building anthology he had initially envisioned. Well, FSC is in the process of adding six more structures inspired by the storied architect to the central Florida campus. Oh, and did we mention these structures are for cats? Read more.

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