Daydreaming about Pruitt-Igoe

According to former SLU professor, current New School professor Joseph Heathcott, the second most famous image of a demolition in America is that of Pruitt-Igoe being imploded. The most famous such image is the fall of the World Trade Center towers.

As I was sitting at lunch today, I kept thinking that it’s rather fascinating that both complexes were designed by the same architect, Minoru Yamasaki. I wonder what he would say about it if he was still around.

And of course, StL would have to be the home of the second most famous demolition image in the world. We lead the nation in historic rehabilitation, but when it gets right down to it, there is little that StL loves more than chewing its beautiful and/or notable structures to bits. I’m not saying P-I shoulda been saved (that’s a loooong discussion for a rainy day), but just noting how heartily we luv our bulldozers, headache balls, and explosives here in the StL.

Thomas Crone has recent pics of the P-I ruins, er, forest online here.