Christyn Mobarak

Buffalo As an Architectural Museum: the Rehabilitation of the Buffalo State Hospital and the New York Central Terminal of Buffalo Christyn Mobarak

Americans have always appreciated their cultural and architectural past at some level, but only recently have they begun to see the significance of historic architecture and how many structures are being lost. In recent decades the preservation movement has touched almost every community; Buffalo, New York is no exception. Two of Buffalo's most problematic preservation projects are H. H. Richardson's Buffalo State Hospital and Fellheimer and Wagner's New York Central Terminal of Buffalo. Both structures are surrounded in controversy over their preservation and future reuse. This book examines the reuse of these structures within the context of today's preservation capabilities. Case studies and public forums from around the nation have proved that there are feasible alternatives to the demolition of structures orginially designed for very specific purposes. Viewed in this manner, the Buffalo State Hospital and the Central Terminal have the potential to be not architectural burdens but revitalization opportunities.