A Paul Rudolph on 58th Street That Will Actually Last

"The works of this baroque brutalist, who was active until his death in 1997, have been steadily demolished over the past few decades - his Riverview High School in Sarasota in 2009, the Shoreline Apartments in Buffalo in 2020, his Burroughs-Wellcome Building in North Carolina the following year. Multiple Rudolph houses have been lost in the same period. Others remain at risk; the fate of his still-polarizing Boston Government Service Center is exceptionally unclear. Nature has been cruel as well, washing away his Sanderling Beach Cabanas in Sarasota in a 2024 hurricane."

"The building dates from Rudolph's last decade of work, completed just three years before his death. The architect designed the ground floor to house his lighting company, Modulightor, which he founded with life and business partner Ernst Wagner. It also held his architectural office on the second floor along with two duplex apartments on the top floors, which were rented out to tenants."

Paul Rudolph's buildings have been steadily demolished or damaged over recent decades, with notable losses including Riverview High School (2009), the Shoreline Apartments (2020), and the Burroughs-Wellcome Building (2021). Multiple private houses were also lost, and the Boston Government Service Center remains at risk. A 2024 hurricane destroyed the Sanderling Beach Cabanas in Sarasota. New York retains several Rudolph works such as Tracey Towers, 23 Beekman Place, and the Hirsch House, though public access is limited. The Modulightor Building on East 58th Street stands out as New York's most recent interior landmark and once housed Modulightor, Rudolph's office, and rented duplex apartments.

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