Architecture We Love to Hate

15 Controversial Modernist Buildings in Hong Kong Why are certain buildings being deemed ugly and worthless by some people but treasured by others? What are the bases for forming these different opinions? How do judgements made by professionals and the general public affect the perceived value of our built landscapes and their fate in ongoing urban development? This public engagement project,  co-organized by Docomomo Hong Kong and HKICON, with funding support from the Built Heritage Conservation Fund, Development Bureau, HKSAR Government. explored these questions by examining 15 controversial modernist buildings in Hong Kong. Some key questions to consider include: What…

Call for applications: PhD “TACK/Communities of Tacit Knowledge: Architecture an its Ways of Knowing”

A call for applications is being held for 10  PhD positions located at ten academic institutions from across Europe, funded in the frame of the innovative PhD training program “TACK/Communities of Tacit Knowledge: Architecture an its Ways of Knowing”. ‘TACK / Communities of Tacit Knowledge: Architecture and its Ways of Knowing’ is a newly funded Innovative Training Network, as part of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions within the European Framework Program Horizon 2020. It trains young researchers in understanding the specific knowledge that architects use when designing buildings and cities. TACK gathers ten major academic institutions, three leading cultural architectural institutions as well as nine distinguished…

Online publication of the International Congress: Bauhaus and Greece

After the international congress entitled Bauhaus and Greece: The New Idea of Synthesis in Art and Architecture, held in Athens, from the 30th May  to 1st June 2019, the video recordings are now available on Youtube. The conference aimed to created a discussion around two main topics: the first, was the Bauhaus reception in Greece and other countries before and after the Second World War. In the special case of Greece, the influences of modern European culture on the arts, architecture and art education during these periods. The second topic was about other international initiatives that directly or indirectly referred…

Outrage: Zonnestraal at risk

  Outrage: Zonnestraal at risk Dutch minister removes world famous sanatorium and aftercare colony created by Duiker, Bijvoet and Wiebenga from the UNESCO Tentative List The recent decision of the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science to remove Zonnestraal from the provisional list of nominations for UNESCO World Heritage has filled many with disbelief and incomprehension. Zonnestraal has been on this Tentative List since 1995. Logical, because the modern architecture of Duiker, Bijvoet and Wiebenga and the construction of the complex form a unique layered materialization of the underlying social ideals, the aesthetic principles of the Modern Movement and…

Reglazing Modernism – Intervention Strategies for 20th Century Icons

Reglazing Modernism – Intervention Strategies for 20th Century Icons Angel Ayón, AIA, LEED AP Uta Pottgiesser, PhD, Architect, Prof. Nathaniel Richards, LEED AP The extensive use of exterior glazed enclosures is one of the most character-defining features of Modern architecture. After decades in service, these facade components have fallen into disrepair and now pose numerous challenges. Consequently, many pre- and post-war steel frame window walls, curtain walls and ribbon windows have been altered to address decay, reestablish functionality and improve appearance or performance. The resulting interventions have prompted important discussions around issues of heritage conservation, building science and sustainability. Focusing…

Tour day 2019: Bauhaus 100: a celebration

Weissenhofsiedlung (Stuttgart, 1927 – Caracas, 1952) Docomomo Venezuela has organized a tour day on the 2nd of November with the theme: “Bauhaus 100 – a celebration” to celebrate the Centenary of the Bauhaus and discover its influence in Caracas. The tour will include relevant pieces of the first modern architecture of Caracas (1927-1952) little studied or recognized. Passing by bus through Paradise, San Martin, San Bernardino and La Florida, the docotour will end with a visit to the interiors of the fifth Caoma, residence of the architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva and headquarters of the Villanueva Foundation that treasures his documents…

Campaign: Tony Garnier – Against erasing the work, for the coherence of action

Docomomo France has shared with Docomomo International the campaign: Tony Garnier: Against erasing the work, for the coherence of action This campaign intends to raise awareness among professionals in the area to recognize and protect the work of the architect Tony Garnier (1869-1948), in Lyon, France. The importance of the architect’s graphic, architectural and urban work is considerable, but still rather unknown in Lyon, his birth place. Today, beyond the recognition of his work as the celebrations around the 150th anniversary of his birth are sure to to improve, the urgency is also to ensure the sustainability and the future…

Architetture del ‘900 in Basilicata e Puglia [Architecture from the 20th century in Basilicata and Puglia]]

“9 x 100 = 900, 9 itinerari per 100 architetture del ‘900 in Basilicata e Puglia” is the title of the week dedicated to the modern movement architecture, organized by Docomomo Italy, from 15th to 23rd November, in Matera. On November 15th, to mark the beginning of the week, the traveling exhibition “9 itinerari per 100 architetture del ‘900 in Basilicata e Puglia“, organized by the Basilicata and Puglia sections of Docomomo Italy will be inaugurated at the Cinema Teatro Duni (by the architect Ettore Stella, from Matera, 1949); guided tours to Matera’s modern architecture will take place during the…

International Symposium: 100 Bauhaus

The College of Architecture and Urban Planning of Tongji University held a symposium on “100 Bauhaus”, focusing on the challenges of conservation of modern heritage. This event brought specialists on conservation of Bauhaus-related heritage such as Dipl.-Ing. Frank Assmann (Bauhaus Foundation); Prof. Ivo Hammer (Tugendhat House International Conservation Committee), plus experts on the conservation of modern architectural heritage in Shanghai like Profs. Qian Feng and Qu Cuisong (Wenyuan Building, Tongji University); and Mr. Zuo Xun (Green House, Shanghai IADR). The symposium offered a great opportunity to discuss on conservation criteria and design approaches for a topic –modern heritage- that is…

16th International Docomomo Conference

On the 11th October 2019, the Scientific Committee Meeting will meet up in Tokyo, Japan, to organize the 16th International Docomomo Conference. Hosted by Docomomo Japan, the 16th International Docomomo Conference will take place in Tokyo, at the Ueno Park Area, from 10th to 13th September 2020, under the theme: Inheritable Resilience: Sharing Values of Global Modernities. Schedule 15th March – 14 September –  Call for papers. Early November 2019 – Call for papers’ selection notification. 30 January 2020 – Full paper submission deadline (1st version); Registration deadline for speakers and sessions chairs. 10 March 2020 – Deadline for session…