World Monuments Fund exhibition on preserving modern architecture opens Sept. 8

August 27, 2009

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — “Modernism at Risk: Modern Solutions for Saving Modern Landmarks,” an exhibition organized by the World Monuments Fund and sponsored by Knoll Inc., will travel to design schools and other venues across the United States beginning with the University of Florida’s College of Design, Construction and Planning.

The exhibit will be on view from Sept. 8-24 at the gallery in the Architecture Building. The exhibition will also travel to New York City, where it will be on view at the American Institute of Architects New York Center for Architecture from Jan. 21 through April 10, 2010.

“Modern Solutions for Saving Modern Landmarks,” a project of the WMF Modernism at Risk program, consists of large-scale photographs by noted photographer Andrew Moore and interpretative panels with five case studies that explore the role designers play in preserving Modern landmarks. The five buildings highlighted are:

  • Riverview High School (1958-2009) in Sarasota, Fla., designed by Paul Rudolph
  • ADGB Trade Union School (1930) in Bernau, Germany, designed by Hannes Meyer and Hans Wittwer and recipient of the first WMF / Knoll Modernism prize in 2007
  • A. Conger Goodyear House (1939) in Old Westbury, N.Y., designed by Edward Durell Stone and saved from demolition by WMF in 2002
  • Grosse Pointe Public Library (1954) in Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., designed by Marcel Breuer and saved from demolition by WMF in 2007
  • Kent Memorial Library (1972) in Suffield, Conn., designed by Warren Platner.

Riverview High School and the Grosse Pointe Library were specifically mentioned in WMF’s 2008 Watch listing “Main Street Modern” as examples of modern buildings needing attention.

“Florida has an overwhelming amount of modern cultural resources, particularly post-World War II structures,” said Morris Hylton III, UF interior design assistant professor and author of the exhibition catalog and text. “The exhibition demonstrates how design faculty and students, like those here at UF, can help raise awareness of the significance of modern architectural heritage and develop solutions that preserve important Modernist landmarks.”

Amy Freitag, WMF’s director of U.S. programs, said, “WMF recognizes that heritage preservation extends from ancient times into our recent architectural past. Our Modernism at Risk program was created to advocate for this often overlooked period and to address its special needs. We are pleased to be involved with this exhibition as it reaches out to the next generation of architectural stewards.”

At UF, the exhibition will feature Department of Interior Design student proposals to save Riverview High School and Rudolph’s additions to Sarasota High School, built in 1958 and 1959 respectively. A model of Riverview prepared by the Paul Rudolph Foundation will also be on display. Riverview was razed in June 2009, but the Sarasota County School District has agreed to preserve the historic character of the Sarasota High School addition when it’s renovated. The school district will also support the nomination of the site to the State and National Register of Historic Places.

Last November, UF’s Historic Preservation Programs partnered with the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation and the Florida Division of Historic Resources to sponsor a workshop on preserving the recent past at the Harn Museum of Art. The workshop produced a white paper with recommendations for identifying, assessing and preserving Florida’s modern heritage.