PRESERVATION OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE
Theodore H. M. Prudon
Reviewed by Robert D. Loversidge, Jr., FAIA (fragmento)
As historic preservation makes its way into the 21st century, every library will need to have a copy of
Preservation of Modern Architecture, by Theodore H. M. Prudon, FAIA, professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and architect in private practice. Prudon is the President of DOCOMOMO US (International Working Party for the Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites, and Neighborhoods of the Modern Movement) and a board member of DOCOMOMO International, organizations formed to study and advocate for the preservation of significant Modern Movement architecture. As much as some hard-core preservation advocates who don't acknowledge designers past Benjamin Latrobe might like to object, make no mistake about it – the preservation movement is beginning to embrace the architecture of the recent past – as it must.
As Prudon notes in the preface, "It should not be surprising that those who fought so hard against urban renewal to preserve an earlier heritage are not as easily mobilized to advocate for the preservation of buildings of the recent past." On the other hand, many of us in architectural practice today were brought up as part of the Modern Movement (or at least towards the end of it), so the buildings being considered are (a) well within our design knowledge base and (b) certainly not "old" enough to be considered "historic." Saarinen. Neutra. Mies. Stone. Wright. These are familiar names to many of us. Yet, their buildings, that we once heralded as "new," are increasingly endangered by functional obsolescence, by material failure, by energy concerns, by evolving urban landscapes, by the impermanent nature of their construction, and, like the historic buildings of the past, by society's changing tastes. In the future, an increasing number of projects designed by architects will utilize existing buildings – surely this trend will be accelerated by the increased emphasis we see everywhere on "sustainability." No building project is more "green" than one that starts with the embedded energy of an existing building.
This book is an attempt to bridge the gap(s) between traditional American preservation practices, which use 18th and 19th century building typologies, and the philosophical and physical design requirements needed to preserve modern architecture. The author distinguishes preservation issues common in traditional preservation practice from those encountered in the preservation of modern buildings. It is a tome. At nearly 600 pages and 4.2 pounds (according to Amazon),
Preservation of Modern Architecture is not a quick read or a book to drag along for a few minutes reading during your lunch hour. It is a comprehensive volume that endeavors to address every conceivable aspect of its topic.
(...)
FICHA BIBLIOGRÁFICA
PRUDON, Theodore H. M.
Preservation of Modern Architecture. New Jersey,
John Wiley & Sons, 2007,
592 p.
CONTENIDO DEL LIBRO
viii Preface
xii Acknowledgments
1 PART I. PRESERVATION OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE: AN OVERVIEW
2
Chapter 1. Preserving Modern Architecture: The Beginning
23
Chapter 2. Philosophical Issues Affecting Preservation and Design
53
Chapter 3. Evolving Preservation Philosophies and Standards
76
Chapter 4. Preservation Issues for Modern Materials and Systems
156
Chapter 5. Preserving Modern Architecture: What, Why, Where and How
166
Chapter 6. The Investigation and Assessment of Modern Buildings and Structures
180 PART II. BUILDING TYPOLOGIES: CASE STUDIES
182
Chapter 7. Pavilions
185 Barcelona Pavilion, Barcelona, Spain
194 The Aluminaire House, Central Islip, New York
204
Chapter 8. Residential Architecture
210 Single family
214
Villa Savoye, Poissy, France
221
Gropius House, Lincoln, Massachusetts
231
Farnsworth House, Plano, Illinois
239 Suburban Developments
243 Greenbelt, Maryland
252 Levittown, Long Island, New York
260 Mar Vista, Los Angeles, California
268 Multifamily, Multistory Structures
273 Chatham Towers, New York, New York
282 Peabody Terrace, Cambridge, Massachusetts
292 Raymond Hilliard Center, Chicago, Illinois
302
Chapter 9. Prefabrication
306 The Cemesto House
318 The Lustron House
328
Chapter 10. Schools
334 Openluchtscholl, or The Open Air School, Amsterdam, Netherlands
341 Crow Island Scholl, Winnetka, Illinois
349 Munkegard Elementary School, Soborg, Denmark
357
Chapter 11. Performing Arts Centers
362 The Royal Festival Hall, London, England
372 Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York, New York
382 Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia
393
Chapter 12. Hotels
401 Caribe Hilton Hotel, San Juan, Puerto Rico
409 SAS Royal Hotel, Copenhagen, Denmark
419
Chapter 13. Airport Terminals
426 TWA Terminal, John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, NY
436 Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Virginia
445
Chapter 14. Industrial buildings
452 Fiat Lingotto Factory, Turin, Italy
462 The Van Nelle Factory, Rotterdam, Netherlands
473
Chapter 15. Exterior Cladding Materials: Glass and Stone
478 Glass
478 Schunck Department Store (The Glaspaleis or Glass Palace), Heerlen, Netherlands
486 Lever House,
New York, New York
492 Thin Stone Veneer
492 Finlandia Hall, Helsinki, Finland
496 Amoco Building, Chicago, Illinois
499
Chapter 16. Miscellaneous
500 Zonnestraal Sanatorium, Hilversum, Netherlands
512 First Presbyterian Church,
Stamford, Connecticut
522 Notes
566 Illustration Credits
567 Index
Información seleccionada y editada por Fredy Ovando Grajales para el blog Biblioteca de Arquitecto(s).
