The postmodern icon has become the first of its kind to gain landmark preservation status in New York City, but there’s no word if the art housed inside will remain safe.

... a proposed redesign of the building by the Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta caused significant controversy in the preservationist circles. Key to these discussions was the fate of Dorothea Rockburne’s site-specific murals, which currently reside in the tower’s lobby. Although the company that owns the building, Alayan America, released a statement professing great respect for Rockburne’s work, their comment lacked any explicit guarantee that the artist’s mural would be protected if any redesign occurred.

A representative for NYC’s Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC) confirmed to Hyperallergic that the building’s new status only recognizes the exterior of the structure and not the interior. This is a major win for the preservationists who fought the Snøhetta proposal, but a setback for those who have rallied on Rockburne’s behalf.

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