APT Northwest - Mid-century Modern Panel Discussion
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Brian Rich gave this presentation as an introduction to modern architecture design theory, prefacing a panel discussion on the preservation of mid-century modern architecture in Portland, OR in 2016.
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APT Northwest - Mid-century Modern Panel Discussion
- 1. Preserving Mid-Century Modern: A Panel Discussion Introduction by Brian Rich APTNW Chapter President SUSTAINABLE PRESERVATION ARCHITECTURE & CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT WWW.RICHAVEN.COM 206.909.9866
- 2. Introduction Figure __: The Bacardi Building in Miami, FL. by Cuban architect Enrique Gutierrez in 1963 Credit: Wikimedia
- 3. Introduction Modern design and construction brought us innovative… ▪ Design philosophies and methods ▪ Building materials ▪ Construction techniques Figure __: The Bacardi Building in Miami, FL. by Cuban architect Enrique Gutierrez in 1963 Credit: Wikimedia
- 4. Value in Modern Design Figure __: The Cleveland Greyhound Station exhibits the Art Moderne style of modern architecture. Credit: Colin Rose - Wikimedia
- 5. Value in Modern Design “Modern buildings acquire their interest through their style and innovation.” – Sir Bernard Feilden Celebrate the “abstract intellectual achievement of modern buildings, and not focus on tangible steel and glass, concrete or plastic…” - Alan Baxter But what if it’s the materials themselves which are the innovation…. Figure __: The Cleveland Greyhound Station exhibits the Art Moderne style of modern architecture. Credit: Colin Rose - Wikimedia
- 6. Prudon’s Dichotomies 1. Building Use: Single Use vs. Adaptability 2. Building Materials: Traditional smaller units vs. assembled parts Craftsmanship vs. machine-made precision 3. Design intent Material deterioration vs. authenticity 4. Visual Continuity: Transparency & continuity vs. opaque walls 5. Evidence of Aging: Patina vs. newness value
- 7. Authenticity vs. Reconstruction Figure __: Left: The Barcelona Pavilion – is reconstruction considered historic preservation? Credit: wikimedia. Figure __: Right: the Parthenon in Nashville TN – is a copy of a copy of the original considered historic preservation? Credit: wikimedia.
- 8. Modern design and construction brought us:
- 9. David Fixler - Einhorn Yaffee Prescott ▪ Account for the values that shaped modern buildings ▪ Aging of materials must be acknowledged ▪ Some modern materials gain age-value – others not ▪ Arguments for replacement of modern materials: • Newness value • Economics of repair vs. replacement • Philosophical argument ▪ Sustainable design strategies may be appropriate for modern buildings
- 10. Susan MacDonald – GCI Colloquium on Modern Heritage ▪ Time lag between a building’s creation and its protection and conservation ▪ Recognition that in some cases repair is not possible ▪ Shifting focus from the materiality dilemma to obsolescence and use ▪ Conservation is about managing change – not preventing it ▪ Do the fundamental tenets of modernism conflict with conservation practice? • Traditional practitioners: existing approaches worked when tempered to challenges at hand vs. a new approach specific to demands of modern heritage ▪ Application of value-based conservation practices • Understanding what is important about preservation and degrees of significance
- 11. The Madrid Document by ICOMOS, 2011 Aim of the Document: “…to guide the appropriate and respectful handling of mid-century modern architecture….” Applies not just to modern architectural heritage, but other types of 20th Century Heritage 9 Articles of the Madrid Document: Article 1: Identify and assess cultural significance. Article 2: Apply appropriate conservation planning methodology. Article 3: Research the technical aspects of twentieth-century architectural heritage. Article 4: Acknowledge and manage pressures for change, which are constant. Article 5: Manage change sensitively. Article 6: Ensure a respectful approach to additions and interventions. Article 7: Respect the authenticity and integrity of the heritage site. Article 8: Give consideration to environmental sustainability. Article 9: Promote and celebrate twentieth-century architectural heritage with the wider community.
- 12. Angel Ayon – Guggenheim Museum Renovations Choices that were inconsistent and contradictory were made in the recent renovation of the museum – and that’s OK.
- 13. Allee Berger – On the Preservation of Principles Significance “should depend ‘upon the progress of the development of the historical consciousness and the culture of the people involved.’ (Phillipot)Values are not fixed, rather, they are subjected to variation between individuals, and to change through time as theories evolve.” “biases surrounding age and rarity must be severed for resources of the recent past… traditional theories… …are inadequate” and the “result of the field’s fixation on the regulatory process and material conservation.” Selected principles proposed by Berger: • Authenticity should be maintained by celebrating the original design intent. • Deteriorating materials “may be replaced with a newer, better material that has a similar visual aesthetic as the original.” • Additions and new construction are encouraged so long as they emulate the spirit in which the resource was designed, and should promote a dynamic environment and site. • For MEP systems, modifications and alterations are encouraged as long as such changes emulate the spirit in which the building was designed and built.
- 14. Panel Questions: Question 1: Of those discussed here, who suits your approach best? David Fixler, Susan MacDonald, or Allee Berger? Or someone else?
- 15. Panel Questions: Question 2: Do we need a whole new system of preservation for Modern Architecture, especially Mid- Century Modern?
- 16. End Thanks! SUSTAINABLE PRESERVATION ARCHITECTURE & CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT WWW.RICHAVEN.COM 206.909.9866
Editor's Notes
- Today, I’ll start first with an overview of some philosophies about the preservation of mid-century modern architecture – or MCM as I’ve recently learned it’s called. Then we will open the discussion to our panel to express their understanding of how to treat modern buildings. Then we’ll open it to a general discussion. There are some handouts going around with some of the preservation approaches. These are reminders for us during the discussion.
- As Susan MacDonald points out in the 2013 Colloquium on Conserving Modern Heritage… Common criticisms of modern architecture include “There is so much of it,” “we don’t like it,” and “it’s too hard to deal with”. On the other hand, there is much to be thoughtfully considered with modern architecture.
- As the National Trust notes, modern architecture has an “emphasis on form rather than ornament; structure and materials rather than picturesque constructions; and the rational and efficient use of space.” “Technical innovation, experimentation, and rethinking the way humans lived in and used the designed environment… were hallmarks of modern architectural practice.” The ideals of modernity and their social consequences drive the conflict between traditional preservation and preservation of modern architecture. These ideals include: newness, cleanliness, efficient machined perfection and a lack of tolerance of deterioration and aging.
- Why is modern architecture [usually] valued? We see here a few thoughts from other preservationists Alan Baxter also adds that “when materials are in difficulty, if it is economic, replace them with better detailed materials, without any philosophical qualms, but with good design and skill.” But what if it’s the materials themselves which are historically significant? Such as plywood, and other resin and wood combinations, or plastics that are new and create a certain effect – but which deteriorate due to UV exposure or weather?
- Theodore Prudon, author of the book Preservation of Modern Architecture, presents several dichotomies for us to consider: The first dichotomy is in building use. This refers to the perception that a building is fit for one use only as opposed to being able to be adapted to many uses Second is the dichotomy of building materials Traditional buildings are made of smaller individual units of wood, brick and stone vs prefabricated and unitized components Craftsmanship of assembling building components on site juxtaposed with machine made materials and assembly lines Deterioration of modern experimental materials vs. old or out of style materials are often perceived as out of date Third is the dichotomy of design intent: material deterioration vs. authenticity Traditional preservation focuses on conservation of original, tangible material as the way authenticity is conveyed By contrast, conservation of modern architecture is often more focused on the intangible design ideas and intent In modern architecture, original design concepts and idea are paramount materials are a way to capture or express the design ideas and the focus is on the paramount appearance of newness Transparency and visual continuity Traditional architecture has a higher percentage of solid walls vs. the predominance of glass and continuity from interior to exterior in modern architecture. Adaptive use of modern building must be compatible with the exterior layout Floor, wall, and ceiling materials often continue from interior to exterior Thus modern buildings must be addressed holistically The next dichotomy is the Evidence of Aging Signs of weathering and deterioration present significant conflicts and questions Patina is considered to be bad It is diametrically opposed to the original design intent and historical significance of innovation and newness value Immediate, even short term repairs and continuous maintenance are required to prevent weathering on modern buildings Concrete, though, may be one of the materials expected to deteriorate over time, depending on the design intent
- In another line of thought, there is the question of Degrees of Authenticity as it relates to Reconstruction Cesar Brandi argues: “Substitution of a copy cannot be justified [as preservation]…. A copy is a historical and aesthetic forgery… a purely didactic or commemorative object.” Reconstruction is more broadly accepted in modern buildings, but the limits are fuzzy Reconstruction of Mies Van Der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion– holds none of the original building materials, but is considered preservation because it is built to the original specifications The Parthenon in Nashville is a concrete reconstruction of the original plaster and wood Parthenon in Athens…. At what point, then, is reconstruction considered falsification of history?
- And so we come back to the value of modern design. And we see the values change: Innovation in building design Engineering Purpose built structures Standard details Innovation on construction techniques Rationalization, Standardization, Modularization, Prefabrication Increased efficiency, accuracy, consistency, and uniformity Innovation in building materials Materials are smaller, thinner, more efficient Materials are increasingly man-made Quicker availability and higher quality You’re wondering where this goes next. Well, with some understanding of the value of modern design, we can understand and discuss several different the preservation approaches for mid-century modern preservationists.
- We must account for the values that shaped modern buildings, including: Purpose built nature of modern buildings. Often modern buildings were meant to be demolished after they had fulfilled their purpose High value placed on experimentation with materials. Materials were often insufficiently understood and conservation is impractical or highly questionable The importance of newness appearance to the modern buildings – in contrast to older worn down cities. The materials themselves were often of less importance than the values it represented. The pristine aesthetic of modern design gave a particular meaning which required constant maintenance to communicate its modernity. Aging of materials must be acknowledged. In some cases, modern materials gain age-value as materials age. In other cases, not. Arguments for replacement of modern materials include: Newness value of replacing rather than repairing existing building materials Economic argument – often more expensive to repair existing material than to replace it – as long as the mechanistic appearance is continued Philosophical argument – that modern buildings were meant to express newness. Since technology of materials is transient, it is appropriate to replace with the latest materials available. Example: Lever House – curtainwall system was completely replaced It can be argued that replacement was best to preserve the spirit of newness and appearance of the building Example: IOUE – International Union of Operating Engineers – Material conservation of the curtainwall framing and replacement of the glass resulted in meeting the Owner’s desires for a “new” appearance Sustainable design – often goes well with modern designs that begin to employ specific strategies to control the impacts the environment. It can be argued that new sustainable strategies applied to modern buildings are appropriate.
- MacDonald – Position Paper in the “Colloquium to advance conservation of modern heritage” Paper titled: “Integrating Modern Heritage into the Continuum of Conservation Practice” The time lag between a building’s creation and its protection and conservation has never been as compressed as for the heritage of the Modern era. The move from craft-based to industrialized construction introduced many new materials, brought into use component-based systems, employed traditional materials in different ways, abandoned traditional detailing, and often claimed buildings were maintenance-free. There is now recognition that in some cases repair is not possible, and large-scale replacement or even reconstruction may be necessary. Recent discussions have shifted focus from the materiality dilemma to the issue of obsolescence and use. Conservation, for the bulk of the world’s protected places, is about managing change in ways that retain significance. The early period of modern heritage conservation saw universal truths collide, and questions arose as to whether the fundamental tenets of modernism conflicted with those of conservation practice. Two camps were represented: on one side were traditional conservation practitioners who argued for the application of the existing philosophical approaches, tempered by the specific requirements of the conservation challenges at hand, while others argued for a new philosophical approach specific to the demands of modern heritage. The issues generating the greatest debate revolved around the question of material conservation and whether authentic fabric could be conserved without compromising design intent, which was driven by the ideals of modernity and its social consequences. Those more conversant with conservation practice have argued that existing conservation principles work just fine, and that it is counterproductive to identify modern heritage as different and thus requiring a separate set of principles. The injection of new blood into the comparatively small and sometimes-insular conservation fraternity has served to catalyze reevaluation of some of the existing manifestos and tools, highlighting areas of confusion or areas where conservation has not been well integrated into general planning, development, and architectural practice. The simple and basic concept of values-based conservation is that by understanding what is important about a place and the degrees of significance, you can make rational decisions about how to conserve it. The Madrid Document arose out of the need to reiterate the general principles of conservation and its process specifically for twentieth-century heritage. And Susan MacDonald was at the heart of these efforts. Let’s see what they came up with.
- MacDonald’s concept of a continuum of practice is at the heart of the Madrid Document. Article 1: Identify and assess cultural significance. 1.1: Use accepted heritage identification and assessment criteria. 1.2: Identify and assess the significance of interiors, fittings, associated furniture and art works. 1.3: Identify and assess the setting and associated landscapes. 1.4: Proactively develop inventories of the architectural heritage of the twentieth century. 1.5: Use comparative analysis to establish cultural significance. Article 2: Apply appropriate conservation planning methodology. 2.1: Maintain integrity by understanding significance before any intervention. 2.2: Use a methodology that assesses cultural significance and provides policies to retain and respect it, prior to commencing work. 2.3: Establish limits of acceptable change. 2.4: Use interdisciplinary expertise. 2.5: Provide for maintenance planning. 2.6: Identify responsible parties for conservation action. 2.7: Archive records and documentation. Article 3: Research the technical aspects of twentieth-century architectural heritage. 3.1: Research and develop specific repair methods appropriate to the unique building materials and construction techniques of the twentieth century. 3.2: The application of standard building codes needs flexible and innovative approaches to ensure appropriate heritage conservation solutions. Article 4: Acknowledge and manage pressures for change, which are constant. 4.1: Whether as a result of human intervention, or environmental conditions, managing change is an essential part of the conservation process to maintain cultural significance, authenticity and integrity. Article 5: Manage change sensitively. 5.1: Adopt a cautious approach to change. 5.2: Assess the heritage impacts of proposed changes prior to works commencing and aim to mitigate any adverse impacts. Article 6: Ensure a respectful approach to additions and interventions. 6.1: Additions need to respect the cultural significance of the heritage site. 6.2: New interventions should be designed to take into account the existing character, scale, form, siting, materials, colour, patina and detailing. Article 7: Respect the authenticity and integrity of the heritage site. 7.1: Interventions should enhance and sustain cultural significance. 7.2: Respect the value of significant layers of change and the patina of age. Article 8: Give consideration to environmental sustainability. 8.1: Care must be taken to achieve an appropriate balance between environmental sustainability and the conservation of cultural significance. Article 9: Promote and celebrate twentieth-century architectural heritage with the wider community. 9.1: Presentation and Interpretation are essential parts of the conservation process. 9.2: Communicate cultural significance broadly. 9.3: Encourage and support professional educational programs to include twentieth-century heritage conservation.
- In a similarly accommodating stance, Angel Ayon wrote about the preservation of Wright’s Guggenheim Museum: By addressing structural repairs, rain protection, fenestration upgrade and exterior colour issues, [his] paper shows how, during the Guggenheim project, priority was assigned to the design intent in some cases, to the historic building fabric in others, or indeed to neither factor. A building’s original design intent was an evolving concept and that its final incarnation, which we designate as historic fabric, is as relevant and worthy of preserving as the intent. Structural Repairs: Exterior formwork texture was deemed more important than the design intent of smooth curves, so repairs were completed on the interior to conceal them from view. Rainwater Protection of the upper rotunda wall: Protection of the historic fabric trumped the preservation of design intent, so metal capping of the top of the wall was rejected in favor of a cementitious topping which allowed water to run down the surface. Window Repairs: Enabling the year-long visibility implicit in Wright’s original design intent, plus upgrading the environmental performance of this glazed enclosure to contemporary standards, took precedence over the retention of original historic fabric in good physical condition. Ayon concludes that “original historic fabric or the architect’s design intent cannot be the sole guiding principle” Rather, “it must welcome positive changes representing the building’s evolution as a living organism.”
- Berger is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and wrote his thesis on the preservation of modern architecture. He states that we must “reassess traditional methodologies in light of unprecedented obstacles.”
- Corollary Question: Is it possible to have a whole new system? If we need one, how would you implement it?
- Theodore Prudon, author of the book Preservation of Modern Architecture, presents several dichotomies for us to consider: The first dichotomy is in building use. This refers to the perception that a building is fit for one use only as opposed to being able to be adapted to many uses The more narrowly the building design was defined to begin with, the more likely that needs will have changed and the building will be considered non-functional We should be aware of this continuous cycle of change Second is the dichotomy of building materials Traditional buildings are made of smaller individual units of wood, brick and stone vs prefabricated and unitized components Craftsmanship is another emphasis in traditional preservation and is juxtaposed with machine made materials and assembly lines Rapid deterioration of modern experimental materials increases the perception that buildings cannot be used for an extended period of time Old or out of style materials are often perceived as not being economically viable The dichotomy of building materials boils down to the perception that the building will not accommodate the intended way work is performed, services or amenities are provided, or the aesthetics desired Third is the dichotomy of design intent and material deterioration vs. authenticity Traditional preservation focuses on conservation of original, tangible material as the way authenticity is conveyed By contrast, conservation of modern architecture is often more focused on the intangible design ideas and intent In modern architecture, original design concepts and idea are paramount materials are a way to capture or express the design ideas and the focus is on the paramount appearance of newness