Paul Rudolph and Orange County, NY

8/13/2009 Uncategorized

In anticipation of my trip home to Westtown in Orange County, NY next week, the images below are the Orange County Government Center by Paul Rudolph in the neighboring town of Goshen.  Built in 1967 (and hated since shortly thereafter), it houses the county court, historic archives, DMV, and county government, among other government programs.  Frequently, local politicians lobby for its destruction, pointing out that the design has not held up over the years.  In addition to leaky roofs and a heating system that has been problematic since day one, the floors have been turned into a labyrinth of ADA compliant ramps, even connecting level changes within single rooms.  An addition was built in 2000 to replace a portion of the original building that had to be abandoned because of structural failure.  Each time Rodolph’s work is considered for demolition, there is enough noise about the building’s architectural/historic significance that it remains standing to wait for the next election cycle.

(first photo from the NYT)

-Ian

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