With the recent release of plans to build on top of Eero Saarinen's terminal building at Dulles International Airport, we take a look at old and new controversies surrounding significant works of architecture and their preservation across the US.
Preserving historic architecture is no easy task given ageing buildings, lack of funding and the lucrative nature of new development.
From a Tadao Ando beach house gutted by musician Kanye West, to Frank Lloyd Wright's only realised skyscraper and Donald Trump's many renovation projects around Washington DC, the legal battles below showcase the often bitter fights that ensue over preserving architecture
Some of the projects have been completely renovated and refreshed, while others are scheduled for demolition, but most are suspended between the two – and have been for years.
Read on below for 11 contentious architectural preservation battles across the US.
The White House East Wing, Washington DC
The East Wing of the White House was demolished in October 2025 to make room for a giant ballroom promoted by president Donald Trump.
Preservationists pushed back on the plans, with various judges issuing injunctions to stop the building, despite approval of the new designs by local regulatory bodies. As of July 2026, construction will reportedly include an expansive underground security complex.
Questions about the legality of the demolition and construction are still being worked out in the courts.
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The Vaillancourt Fountain, California, by Armand Vaillancourt
This peculiar fountain in San Francisco was ruled a hazard in November 2025 by the San Francisco Arts Commission, which voted to dismantle it in anticipation of renovations to the surrounding plaza.
Despite the outcry from locals, the city began to take down the fountain earlier this year, but not before it briefly caught fire due to debris catching flame from a construction blow torch.
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Dallas City Hall, Texas, by IM Pei
Late last year, the Dallas city government voted to explore relocating operations from its 1970s brutalist city hall building designed by architect IM Pei, where it currently resides, citing the building's age and cost of maintenance. A move would cast the future of the iconic structure in uncertainty.
The debate to remain in the building or relocate has sparked much local debate, with reports stating that the voting council is starkly divided.
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550 Madison skyscraper, New York, by Philip Johnson and John Burgee
After the iconic New York skyscraper sat vacant, architecture studio Snøhetta proposed a renovation that would see parts of the structure clad in glass.
The initial scheme proposed a multi-storey glass block to replace the tower's base, but after the building was granted landmark status shortly, Snøhetta pared back the design and conserved the entirety of the facade.
The studio completed the toned-down renovation in 2022.
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Miami Marine Stadium, Florida, by Hilario CandelaÂ
An ongoing preservation saga has plagued Miami Marine Stadium since its closure in 1992. Since then, it has remained vacant and graffitied on its unique site where it sprawls out over a local harbour.
Conservation group Docomomo selected it as one of the most under-threat buildings in America in 2022, and Miami locals will vote to approve an operator for the stadium in the hopes of conserving it during primary elections in August, according to the Miami Herald.
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Portland Municipal Services Building, Oregon, by Michael Graves
Michael Graves' 1982 Portland Municipal Services Building in Portland was one of the first buildings in the US to kickstart the preservation of postmodern architecture.
In 2014, the building came under threat of demolition, but with the help of advocates, including from Graves himself, Portland city council eventually decided on an extensive renovation and the building reopened in 2020.
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Price Tower, Oklahoma, by Frank Lloyd Wright
In late 2024, Frank Lloyd Wright's only skyscraper underwent a contentious legal battle between a local owner and The Frank Lloyd Wright Conservancy, when the latter discovered the "unapproved" sale of original furniture from the interior.
Litigation was recently settled in March 2026 after a new owner purchased the property with plans to renovate the building and operate it as a hotel with residences, a rooftop bar and a ground-floor restaurant.
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The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC, by Edward Durell Stone
The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC is the subject of ongoing controversy after Donald Trump ousted its leadership in February 2025 and proposed an overhaul of the exterior. Trump also affixed his own name to the building, which was later removed.
There is an ongoing back and forth about the president's legal right to reshape the building, and groups such as the AIA have joined a lawsuit against the government in hopes of preserving the original design.
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Victor Lundy House, Texas, by Victor LundyÂ
A group of preservationists including the Texas Historical Foundation, Houston Mod, Docomomo US and Preservation Houston won a hard-fought battle to save American architect Victor Lundy's personal residence in Houston, Texas late last year.
With the support of the group, buyers Dan and Carol Price purchased the house, saving it from demolition. Preservation Houston says the plan is to "restore the property and explore possibilities for its continued use and preservation".
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Elgin Mental Health Center Medical and Surgical building, Illinois, by Bertrand Goldberg
The circular Elgin Mental Health Center Medical and Surgical Building outside of Chicago was being eyed for demolition early last year after decades of disuse.
As of now, there is no widely reported timeline for the demolition, but the building is "worth preserving" according to Geoffrey Goldberg, son of building architect Bertrand Goldberg.
Find out more about the Elgin Mental Health Center Medical and Surgical Building ›
Malibu house, California, by Tadao Ando
A Malibu beach house by Japanese architect Tadao Ando was stripped down to its concrete structure by musician Ye and wife Bianca Censori in 2024.
Ye sold the structure after failing to convert it into a "bunker" as intended, and the current owner is struggling to sell the building before it forecloses, according to Architectural Digest.
Find out more about the Tadao Ando Malibu house ›