Watching a documentary about demolition of large structures. Is the inevitability of this ever anticipated during design/construction?
Something close:
Albert Speer, architect of several Nazi monumental structures, planned for what these structures would look like in future years after decades of neglect. He even produced drawings of such structures at that time. That caused complaints from Nazi leaders, since it was ‘unthinkable’ that Nazi Germany would ever end. But Hitler liked the concept, so it was OK.
Its certainly thought about for bridges and motorway structures.
If the engineers are being sensible they start with the premise they are designing the crossing or the traffic route solution, rather than just the bridge or road structure. That means that one thing they need to consider early in design is how to enhance, repair or replace structure that has reached the end of its use-life as quickly as possible and with minimal operational disruption. It can mean things as simple as ensuring that the optimal locations for large cranes that may not be needed for fifty years are identified and kept clear through to detailed design for how elements interlock.
While structures usually have century-long design lives, this is often only achievable with cyclical maintenance, and part of that can be replacing key elements at intervals of several decades, so design for asset maintenance will also cover much the same ground.