Following an increase in land movement surrounding Lloyd Wright's Wayfarers Chapel outside of Los Angeles, the organization has announced it will disassemble the landmark for preservation.
Located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the 100-seat church was completed in 1951 by son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Lloyd Wright, and has remained a popular destination since.
Lloyd Wright's Wayfarers Chapel will be disassembled following an ongoing landslide
The decision to disassemble the chapel was made recently in the face of the ongoing Portuguese Bend landslide, which has been occurring in the area for over 50 years but has "accelerated at an unprecedented rate" over the last two.
"The landslide continues at a rapid pace," said the team. "The earth under the chapel property and surrounding area is currently moving 2 feet (0.6 metres) or more a month." The land movement has increased in the past two years, causing damage to the chapel and grounds
The movement has resulted in damage to both the chapel and its grounds, with the Wayfarers Chapel organization noting that its redwood structure, metal framing and ceiling are "torquing and bending", glass panels have "fractured" and the concrete floor is "heaving and cracking".
Underground utilities such as electricity, water, sewer and gas utilities have also broken and are currently unusable.
"The chapel itself is at risk for irrevocable da...