Group lists Gateway Arch among threatened sites

NEW YORK -- The cultural heritage of the entire nation of Syria and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis are on the World Monuments Fund's 2014 watch list.

According to the group, preserving the Arch's complex design and preserving its 20th-century materials is "challenging."

The Arch was completed as part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in 1965.

"The unusual shape and extreme height of the Arch compound these difficulties, as do economic trends that have led to decreased government funding for the stewardship of national monuments," the World Monuments Fund said on its website.

"The complexity of preserving both the structural integrity and aesthetic qualities of the Arch compels cooperation between the public and private sectors to ensure that adequate expertise and resources are brought to bear in the preservation of this important landmark and national symbol," the group said.

The group says the landmarks it chooses are threatened by neglect, overdevelopment or social, political and economic change.

It listed 67 sites in 41 countries and territories.

They include Yangon, Myanmar. Its religious structures and late 19th- and early 20th-century colonial buildings face destruction from the demand for commercial and residential properties.

Others on the list include Venice, Italy, and three industrial sites in England.

The New York-based fund issues its watch list every two years.

The list is assembled by a panel of experts in archaeology, architecture, art history and preservation.