Chicago to demolish Gropius campus... disappointing for a city that claims to be the birthplace of modernism and "friend" of architecture. Gropius in Chicago Coalition

August 3, 2009 (DURHAM, NC) – A 1950s house going on the market isn’t news. When that house is exemplary of its style and period and in danger of demolition, it is. + full entry...

Historic buildings 'demolished and neglected' in push to transform city into hub of ultra-capitalism. The Independent

Britain's largest example of brutalist architecture is undergoing a multimillion-pound 'regeneration', and is in danger of losing what makes it special. Guardian

The city of St. Louis is trying to decide what will become of many of its historic school buildings and the neighborhoods that they anchor. npr

Britain's 30-year rule for historic preservation has sparked TimesOnline's Tom Dyckhoff to ask "what would you save from the decade style forgot?"

At least £2m in donations are required to save the London home of a Kenyan poet which features intricate wooden carvings. Khadambi Asalache had studied architecture in Nairobi before emigrating to London in 1960. BBC

Speaking of FLW...

The historic Frank Lloyd Wright building—troubled by crumbling ceilings, leaky walls and the prospect of a repair bill of more than $1 million— (has) just won a $200,000 federal grant.

Can restoring Paul Rudolph's signature building rescue the architect's reputation as well? Slate

Major works of post-WWII modernism at Yale have recently undergone or are undergoing major renovation efforts, making a visit to New Haven a unique opportunity to experience these masterpieces in their ideal states of existence. But can this impressive effort to resurrect at Yale inspire similar appreciation for other valuable but aging works of modernism in cities elsewhere?

Check out this blog for the article and photos.

The only thing gloomier than the weather [yesterday] was the members of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, sitting out this morning’s thunderstorm as they decided the fate of Albert C. Ledner's iconic O’Toole Building, which St. Vincent’s Hospital hopes to demolish and replace with a new 300-foot-tall hospital. AN + full entry...

The Farnsworth House, damaged by flood on September 14th, now has a blog to communicate the clean-up. They have also announced special tours of the damage to help finance the effort.

Jimmy Stamp from Life Without Buildings is discussing the demolition of Modernist Schools in New Orleans...

29 of 30 schools built in the 50s have been closed and will soon be demolished unless the city makes changes to its current plan. It would be a shame to lose these astounding buildings, and rare examples of thoughtful architecture in a city best known for disaster and tourism. A few of my old coworkers and friends have started up docomomo new orleans and, perhaps more notably, the Regional Modernism Blog to help fight needless demolitions like these. The blog is an especially helpful resource in spreading awareness of New Orleans Modernism.

The Bodleian Library has recently been awarded a grant of over £500,000 by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to ensure the preservation and accessibility of digital personal papers – the contemporary versions of manuscripts created by politicians, writers, scientists and intellectuals that are in danger of being lost to future scholarship. Univ. of Oxford

This summer, red signs and green signs in the front lawns of Suffield, Conn., have revealed a town divided over plans to build a new library in place of a modern one built in its historic district in 1972...The signs are gone now. The people have spoken. In a July 22 referendum, residents voted 2,556 to 1,525 against spending $13.6 million on a new library to take the place of the Kent Memorial Library, designed by Warren Platner. Preservation Magazine + full entry...