A controversial government building designed by the celebrated Modernist architect Paul Rudolph in Goshen, N.Y., hailed by some as architecturally significant and panned by others as an eyesore, will be renovated, not demolished.
Last week, the Orange County Legislature passed a proposal to renovate the 43-year-old complex by a vote of 15-6, the Times Herald-Record reported on Friday.
Preservationists have argued that the Rudolph building, which features protruding cubes and a corrugated, corduroy-like facade, is a prime example of Brutalist architecture.
The vote was a defeat for Edward A. Diana, the Orang County executive, who wanted to replace the county government’s main office building because it had been plagued by problems like a leaky roof, faulty ventilation system and mold. Several Democratic lawmakers and others had said the building could be upgraded at less expense.
The legislature’s resolution authorizes bonding $10 million to design the renovations. Democrats and Republicans had clashed over whether to renovate or embrace Mr. Diana’s fallback plan to replace two-thirds of the building and renovate the court section alone.
