Commerce kills a 9/11 icon

NYC: SoHo - Houston St - DKNY, originally uploaded by wallyg.

. . . of commerce. A fascinating debate is emerging in New York as Donna Karan has lost rights to the Houston & Broadway wall that has sported this iconic mural since 1992. The reason: the building was sold and the new owners have leased store space to Abercrombrie and Fitch.

The problem, of course, is that since 9/11 the mural has become a symbol not just of Donna Karan fashion, but the City itself. The pre-9/11 skyline with the Twin Towers; the integration of the City with the Statue of Liberty--this ad has come to transcend its commercial roots even more than the landmark Long Island City Pepsi sign or the Domino Sugar plant in Brooklyn.

This comment on Gothamist sums up the negative reaction:

Some very well put arguments in favor of preservation, I don't think there's much I can add. If the Hollywood sign can be landmarked, if classic neon and chrome and be preserved for future generations then surely that advert can be saved.

It's much more New York than Abercrombie and Fitch ever will.