19. Original Penn Station, New York

On the topic of beautiful buildings being destroyed for no damn reason, let’s talk about the original New York Penn Station. Inspired by classical architecture such as the Acropolis of Athens, Penn Station was a marvel of architecture and the biggest public space in its time. The station was completed in 1910 and served as a major travel hub for decades.

By 1962, however, it had suffered a decline in use and was declared too expensive to upkeep and so was scheduled for demolition. This was (understandably) met with pushback, as even modernist architects rushed to stand up for it. Alas, it was not to be, and this beautiful structure was destroyed by the fools to make way for Madison Square Garden.