MoMA will demolish the former American Folk Art Museum building, crafted only 12 years ago by architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien. MoMA purchased the building in 2011 and will replace the structure with a glass-fronted, 82-story tower designed by Jean Nouvel. MoMA director commented to the New York Times that the demolition was a “loss for architecture.” With the new addition, MoMA will gain additional floorspace and a new streamlined design by Nouvel to be completed in 2017 or 2018.
The collection of the American Folk Art Museum remains intact in its new location, though there’s word that the collection may eventually be dissolved, works perhaps heading to the Brooklyn Museum or the Smithsonian Institution.
Photos courtesy of Dezeen and Five Locals
