preserved

This past January, in Buffalo, New York, the second phase of demolition for a low-income housing complex called Shoreline Apartments commenced. A 1974 photograph of Buffalo’s Shoreline Apartments. George Burns/National Arcvhives at College Park The property owner had long wanted to replace the crumbling buildings. Residents also sought a safer and more welcoming living space that better blended in with the rest of the neighborhood. It sounds like a win-win for all parties. But Shoreline, designed by famed architect Paul Rudolph, had been considered an exemplar of modern architecture in the Western New York area. For this reason, local preservationists wanted to landmark the complex – and save it from the wrecking ball. As historic preservation scholars, we were drawn to this controvers...