The modernist icons have become museums containing themselves, proud exhibitionists flaunting their historical value, strangely pristine jewels extracted from the relentless entropy of their original use as houses, schools, or offices, to be treated as precious art objects exchanged in an endlessly inflating international market. More and more of the surviving buildings are being meticulously restored to their original condition and cleaned for viewing by ever-increasing waves of architectural tourists. Permanent physical and legal defenses have been erected against decay, renovation, addition, and demolition. Indeed, for more than fifty years there have been attempts to preserve key works of modern architecture against the effects of time. Hardly a surprise: The new has long been old. The modern will officially become antique. IN JUST A FEW YEARS, the first works of modern architecture will be one hundred years old.
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