DOCOMOMO/US, Georgia Chapter News

What: Chapter Meeting
When: 6 PM, Wednesday March 21
What: Schedule 2007 events, discuss committee work, general business
Where: The offices of Lord, Aeck & Sargent Architecture (RSVP for directions)

Who: interested in lending a hand? Join a committee and make 2007 the Chapter’s best yet. Need help with organization of lectures, social events, tours, and panel discussions along with more specific tasks such as graphic design, publicity, fundraising, etc.

Please RSVP: info@docomomoga.org

DOCOMOMO Summer Residence Grant in Paris

moderngeorgia — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 15:34:49 +0000

Call for Applications

Docomomo Summer Residence Grant in Paris

Docomomo International is delighted to announce the creation of an annual summer residence grant in Paris to support research on the conservation and the documentation of buildings, sites and neighborhoods of the modern movement.

The residency is open to all active Docomomo International members (registered since 2005) from any country with no age limitations.
This two-month summer grant (July-August) will offer the opportunity to one of our international members to conduct research on the modern movement and to spend two months in France in one of the studios of the Couvent des Récollets, a seventeenth-century convent located in the heart of the city, which houses the French Order of Architects (library and exhibition spaces) as well as a residence for artists and architects.

Candidacies: All candidates who wish to submit applications should send:
(1) a three-page statement on their research project, explaining the need to spend two months in Paris and the results they intend to achieve during their stay;
(2) a one-page schedule of work;
(3) a short résumé;
(4) a short statement explaining their activities and commitment toward Docomomo.

Although there is no stipend associated with the grant, the candidate will also benefit from a work space with all facilities (fax, internet, telephone) at Docomomo International Secretariat in the Palais de Chaillot/Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine.

The application deadline is May 15, 2007.

All Docomomo international members (architects, conservationists,
architectural historians, students…) are strongly encouraged to apply. The applications will be reviewed by the members of Docomomo’s Advisory Board (Hiroyuki Suzuki, Lluis Hortet, Wessel de Jonge, Theodore Prudon, Scott Robertson, Hugo Segawa, France Vanlaethem). The result of the selection will be announced by the end of the month of May.

Please, fell free to circulate this information to all members of your
national/regional chapter.

Applications must be sent by email to Docomomo International Secretariat :
docomomo@citechaillot.org

International committee for
documentation and conservation
of buildings, sites and neighborhoods of the
modern movement

Docomomo International
Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine
Palais de Chaillot
1, place du Trocadéro
F-75016 Paris
t +33 -1 58 51 52 65
e docomomo@citechaillot.org
w docomomo.com

Atlanta Modern Landmarks = Beloved U.S. Buildings

moderngeorgia — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:17:15 +0000

Local Modern landmarks, Richard Meier’s High Museum Stent Family Wing and John Portman’s Hyatt Regency Hotel are included in a survey commissioned by the American Institute of Architects in honor of the organization’s 150th anniversary.

The survey, identifying “America’s favorite buildings,” placed the High Museum at 96 and the Hyatt Regency at 103.

More about the survey from Architectural Record and in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. More about the AIA at www.aia.org.

Engaging the Recent Past

moderngeorgia — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 22:51:43 +0000

Engaging the Recent Past
JAE Theme Issue
Deadline: March 02, 2007

Theme Editors:
Lauren Weiss Bricker, lwbricker@csupomona.edu
Luis Hoyos lghoyos@csupomona.edu
Judith Sheine (jesheine@csupomona.edu)
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Ancient cities of stone, stately mansions with neo-classical porticoes and Main Streets lined with quaint brick facades – ripe for repair and retail – have undisputed value as cultural artifacts as well as for their ability to attract tax benefits and tourist dollars.
Less established are the theoretical underpinnings for the preservation of works dating from the years 1945-1970 – usually referred to as the “Recent Past” by historic preservation specialists.

The scale of postwar architecture and designed landscapes has presented
unique challenges to planners, architects and preservationists: urban renewal projects, military bases measured in miles not acres, and thousands of suburban housing tracts are among the places that may be viewed as historic. These works and others in the United States and abroad embodied a type of architectural modernism that frequently merged with their landscapes; lacking an obvious front facade, their significance has often gone unnoticed by preservationists accustomed to dealing with traditional architecture, e.g., Oakland Museum (1969, Roche & Dinkeloo & Assoc., architects; Dan Kiley, landscape architect).
At the same time, the postwar period is not without its detractors in this post-colonial, post-Communist era. In light of shifting attitudes about globalization, do works evidencing the impact of late colonial regimes on local architecture merit preservation? These works, often incorporating mass-produced building materials and innovative technology, also require very different conservation approaches than have been developed in association with traditional building materials.

However, the creative potential of adaptive reuse and additions to historic buildings have presented new opportunities for contemporary practitioners. Santiago Calatrava’s new wing for Eero Saarinen’s Milwaukee Art Museum (1964) raises different questions than would an addition to a neoclassical building. When iconic buildings are involved, a firestorm of criticism can result, as was the case when Gwathmey Siegel (1992) added to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum (1959) and Anshen + Allen built a new facility (1996) replacing the eucalyptus grove at Louis Kahn’s Salk Institute (1965). On the other hand, some of the worst products of urban renewal, for example, some of the 1960s superblocks could be improved and humanized through the process of re-conceptualization.

The editors invite text-based (Scholarship of Design) and design-based(Design as Scholarship)research that illuminates the challenges and opportunities for the engagement of post-war architecture and designed landscapes. All submissions are digital – no hardcopy or disks required. Deadline for all submissions (text and design) are due by March 02, 2007. Design submissions must be in the form of a PDF (maximum 8 page) following the design guidelines/template posted on the
JAE website. Please consult the JAE website for new submission guidelines and other useful information at (www.jaeonline.ws/).

What’s up with the Atlanta Constitution Building?

moderngeorgia — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 23:13:09 +0000

What’s up with the Atlanta Constitution Building? Good question.

Recent developments suggest that implementation of a planned Lovejoy-Atlanta commuter rail service may be in jeopardy. As a result, construction of a new multi-modal transit facility in Downtown Atlanta may also be delayed or canceled.

A January 12th Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) article “Lovejoy rail backers lose DOT seats,” details political maneuvering resulting in the loss of two members of the state Transportation Board who had once voted to support the Lovejoy rail line. “Commissioners veer rail plan off path, “ a January 4th AJC report details the Clayton County Commission’s reversal regarding an earlier decision to cover the Lovejoy rail line’s estimated annual operating deficit of $4 million for 50 years.

Current multi-modal terminal plans require demolition of the historic Atlanta Constitution Building (see photo above from early 2004) to make way for a minimal rail platform (described as “bare bones” in the local press). The funded portion of the project does not include accommodation for AMTRAK service or construction of a new bus terminal. Plans for this terminal were developed with no consideration for adaptation of the Atlanta Constitution Building – even though the building is eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

In late 2005, the City of Atlanta voted to transfer ownership of this property to the Georgia Department of Transportation for demolition.

Ignoring Georgia’s apparent aversion to mass-transit for a moment, what do these developments have to do with the fate of the Atlanta Constitution Building? It is a difficult question to answer. According to tax records, it appears the city has not transferred the property to the Georgia Department of Transportation as of January 2007.

The building remains vacant, with no indication of construction work – for demolition or otherwise. It is deteriorating at a rapid pace due to the lack of proper roof, numerous openings offering no protection from rain, and evidence of continued vandalism due to its unsecured condition.

Read more about the building and multi-modal transit plans here.

2007 Southern Garden Heritage Conference

moderngeorgia — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 17:36:41 +0000

The 2007 Southern Garden Heritage Conference

February 15-16, 2007

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Athens

The 2007 Southern Garden Heritage Conference has been announced. Ten presentations are scheduled for the two day-conference at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. Of special interest to DOCOMOMO/US, Georgia Chapter members and supporters is Georgia Harrison’s presentation Robert Marvin’s Residence in Walterboro: A Modernist Insertion in a Traditional Context. From the Conference announcement:

“Harrison’s presentation focuses on Robert Marvin’s 1950′s redesign of a small traditional residence in Walterboro, SC, to a modernist design set within the context of a street lined neighborhood of white-columned colonial homes. His design focused on views of the backyard, with strong inside-outside connections, and introduced modernism to an agrarian region”

Early registration ends January 15.

For more information: Email or call The State Botanical Garden of Georgia at 706-542-1244 and garden@uga.edu

Call for Papers: APT San Juan 2007

moderngeorgia — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 21:38:34 +0000

APT San Juan 2007

November 3-7, 2007, Caribe Hilton, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Abstracts for papers are due no later than March 1, 2007.

The Association for Preservation Technology International is currently accepting papers for its 2007conference, Old World Technologies Adapting in the New World. There are three paper tracks as they relate to the conference theme for submissions: Materials, Craftsmanship, and Climate. Paper presenters will be able to attend the conference at the reduced rate of $300; $100 below the lowest member rate.

The 2007 conference will be APT’s first conference outside of North America and it is already promising to be one of the best. Numerous sponsors and exhibitors are already on board and more than 100 people registered during a special pre-registration held early in 2006. Conference events will be held at venues throughout Old San Juan and there will be tours to historic sites around Puerto Rico. In addition to the conference, two workshops are being planned: Preservation of Wood in Historic Structures, and Lime Mortars and Use of Brick Dust Coloring. In addition, the Architecture Specialty Group of the American Institute for Conservation will be putting on a special training program that will allow participants to work alongside an architectural conservator doing hands-on conservation.

Click on the Conferences & Training Link at www.apti.org to access a copy of the complete Call for Papers and Abstract Submission Form.