In the past few weeks, the fates of two classic Brutalist buildings by architect Marcel Breuer were determined ? with differing results. For the Atlanta Central Library, it was good news, as the Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to support the renovation of the building, saving it from the wrecking ball. Meanwhile, the American Press Institute in Reston, Virginia, was not so lucky, as Fairfax County?s board of supervisors voted to tear down the building to make room for a new a townhouse development project.

In the past few weeks, the fates of two classic Brutalist buildings by architect Marcel Breuer were determined ? with differing results. For the Atlanta Central Library, it was good news, as the Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to support the renovation of the building, saving it from the wrecking ball. Meanwhile, the American Press Institute in Reston, Virginia, was not so lucky, as Fairfax County?s board of supervisors voted to tear down the building to make room for a new a townhouse development project.
Atlanta Central Library, Atlanta, Georgia / Marcel Breuer. Image via Docomomo

First opened in 1980, the Central Library in Atlanta contains a 300-seat theater, a restaurant and space for 1 million books, and a facade representative of Breuer?s sensibilities, with its bush-hammered concrete panels and Bauhaus-inspired forms. Over the years, the building fell into disrepair, with its theater...