There’s been a lot of questions about how the so-called credit crisis might impact the architecture and design industries. We’ve been tracking this for months, but so far no one has exactly admitted to apocalypse. Until now.

At a Vanity Fair party on Monday–the day the Dow dropped 504 points–man about town Richard Meier had some dour words for the Observer:

Architect Richard Meier, who lately has become known for designing costly Manhattan apartment buildings, seemed somewhat more disturbed by the news. “I don’t know how to deal with it or what it means. Certainly, it’s going to have a serious effect on my work here.”

When asked just how long our economic troubles might last, Mr. Meier said, “Hopefully, two or three more hours.” Then he tilted his head back and took a swig of Champagne.

Things must be so bad for Meier that word has even reached John Stewart. In a segment last night entitled “The Economy & You,” which explores the impact of the crisis on “real people,” the Daily Show host quipped that a hypothetical Dick Fuld (the former chief of Lehman Brothers) would probably ride out the financial crisis, though there might be “some cutbacks.”

“Richard Meier’s not going to be designing your eighth house,” Stewart said. “You’re probably going to have settle for Norman Foster.” Someone had better pour poor Richard another glass of bubbly.

(The line comes around the 2:15 mark. Video via HuffPo.)