Preservation of Modern Architecture
Theodore H.M. Prudon, FAIA
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
2008
Professor Theo Prudon’s new book on modern architecture is a reference and text for devoted lay preservationist, students and preservation practitioners. While there are a number of excellent books on the history of the modern movement in architecture and exploration of the philosophical underpinnings of the modern movement, Preservation of Modern Architecture is the first that addresses the spectrum of issues associated with the stewardship of modern architecture, presents significant manifestations of modernism and frames the philosophical, assessment and conservation challenges of this body of the built environment.
Preservation of Modern Architecture is organized into two parts. Part One introduces the reader to the origins of modern architecture and the movement advocating its preservation. Prudon enumerates the particular philosophical issues related to modern movement architecture such as the accelerated rate of material deterioration and the quandary of treatment vs. replacement. He follows with a discussion of philosophies and standards that are emerging to respond to these issues. Part One includes a consideration of what of products of modernism should be preserved, when and how. The section concludes with an examination of preservation investigation and assessment processes and their application to the resources of the modern movement.
Part Two presents a series of modern building typology case studies that include pavilions, residential architecture, schools, performing arts centers, hotels, airport terminals and industrial buildings. These building types of the modern era were distinctive in there configuration, expression and construction. Prudon also addresses in Part Two the modern characteristics and influences of prefabrication and the use of exterior cladding materials, approaches and assemblies with unique importance to the period. The final chapter entitled “Miscellaneous” demonstrates the dilemma of writing on the modern movement and its preservation at this time. This chapter presents two special projects that demonstrate the milestones in modernism and its preservation, the 1928 Zonnestraal Sanatorium by Jan Duiker and Bernard Bijvoet in Hilversum, Netherlands and Wallace Harrison’s 1958 First Presbyterian Church, Stamford, CN. In these two projects he highlights the diversity and complexity of characteristics, conditions and issues that have, do and will continue to confront those interested in and committed to the preservation of significant works of the modern movement.
Preservation is at a watershed moment where the characteristics of the resources and challenges and requirements for stewardship of what lies ahead is vastly different from the built environment that predates the mid twentieth century. Preservation of Modern Architecture provides a solid foundation for the assessment and treatment of mid to late 20th century architecture and demonstrates an intellectual and methodological dexterity that will be required to steward the future when it becomes the past.