15 Iconic Buildings That Should Never Have Been Demolished

Despite our best efforts, life—sometimes with the help of a wrecking ball—reminds us that nothing lasts forever, not even architecture that defines a location or cultural era. 

It’s a beautiful thing when a building reaches iconic status for its impact on aesthetics, pop culture, and daily life. But it’s only that much more of a crushing blow when a structure of this merit meets its untimely demolition, usually in favor of a more modern and arguably less inspiring structure. 

Even the work of our most celebrated architects isn’t safe from destruction. Case in point: McKim, Mead & White’s Pennsylvania Station, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel, or Richard Neutra’s Gettysburg Cyclorama. Here, AD has compiled a list of 15 notable buildings that have been razed, and whose legacies—for better or worse—stand as a tacit acceptance of time.