NEW YORK CITY-The American Folk Art Museum, which opened in 2001 and was viewed by some as an inspiration to the city after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, is slated to be demolished later this year to make way for an expansion of the Museum for Modern Art.

The expansion plan calls for the Museum of Modern Art to connect to a new tower with floors for the museum on the other side of what will be the former American Folk Art Museum, according to the New York Times. The American Folk Art Museum could be demolished by the end of this year.

“It's very rare that a building that recent comes down, especially a building that was such a major design and that got so much publicity when it opened for its design—mostly very positive,” says Andrew S. Dolkart, the director of Columbia University's historic preservation program. “The building is so solid looking on the street, and then it becomes a disposable artifact. It's unusual and it's tragic because it's a notable work of 21st century architecture by noteworthy architects who haven't done that much work in the city, and it's a beautiful work with the look of a handcrafted facade.”

Museum of Modern Art officials say the American Folk Art Museum's design did not fit in with their plans. See story in the New York Times.

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American Folk Art Museum Destined for Wrecking Ball

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