The sleek exterior of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, a behemoth of black steel and tinted glass designed by Mies van der Rohe, belies an interior plagued with leaky ceilings, broken elevators, and "wasted" space. Here we go again and again... CSM | related call for entries...
6 Comments
how easy is it to maintain and adapt, say, a beaux-arts courthouse? or a greek revival library? communities will bend over backwards trying to save buildings that are even more technologically antiquated and inflexible than a mid century office bldg. do we need another 50 years to give modern bldgs their props? how much to demo these modern piles?
I largely agree, not without, and am all for retrofitting midcentury buildings with efficient energy systems, and renovating them in a progressive manner that respects their original design but also allows for any renovation or addition to be more than preservation (except in cases of extreme historical/architectural importance). I do, however, see the point that some older, pre-modernist buildings were designed not as hermetic, mechanical system-depenedent, sealed spaces, but I do think most modernist buildings lend themselves more easily to conversion for alternative uses, so that's the trade off. It bothers me endlessly though that nearly any Victorian or neclassical building, however unimportantly or frankly poorly designed, is designated anecdotally as "historic" whereas even very important modernist buildings like Boston City Hall are derided and suggested for demolition.
In America the historical value of the building is based almost solely on being old rather than being significant. Still, I am surprised that someone would be able to knock down a Mies building. Tearing down a Breuer or rudolph building is bad, but Mies! Funny how everyone is trying to get a Zaha building which is supposedly important (and modern) but wants to get rid of something that is actually important (and actually modern).
thats an intereting piont, flm, about the climate control systems in modern vs historic blgs, which typically have operable windows. strangely, when old buildings are renovated (or at least in the recent past), they have new building systems installed that require that the windows stay shut...thanks to concerns of sustainability, are we returning to the era of double or triple hung windows?
I'm not sure I agree with tierce as there are many 1920s and 30s building saved no older than many of the mid century modern buildings. It is unfortunately a style war - to save only what is determined as appropriate
20's and 30's buildings are not automatically deemed 'historic' because of their age either...in New York they are tearing down tenements left and right to build luxury condos. Not that they are great but no one wants to save a slum anyway (at least not me). The fact of the matter is that there are actually relatively few modernist buildings from the 20's and 30's in America and the good ones ARE landmarked. That being said, most people get really excited when they are allowed to get rid of them.
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