Symposium: Preservation, conservation and documentation of Postwar-Modernism Event

Symposium: Nobody´s darling? Preservation, conservation and documentation of Postwar-Modernism

organized by University of Applied Arts Vienna, Conservation Department
in cooperation with the Federal Office for the Protection of Monuments, Austria
26. Februar 2010 - 27. Februar 2010

Unlike the well established preservation procedures applied to historic buildings, Postwar modern buildings face hurdles of various scenarios when it comes to preservation, new usage or destruction. Progress in urban planning, architecture, energy technologies but also the less durable postwar building materials all take their toll. The architectural manifestations of the Postwar generation’s collective memory is gradually disappearing from Vienna’s cityscape.

The University of Applied Arts / Conservation Department, in close cooperation with the Federal Office for the Protection of Monuments, Austria, is involved in several case studies with developing methods and tools to educate a new generation of conservators, architects and art historians to face these new challenges properly.

It always helps to look “outside” the European limits and borders: Conservation professionals in Latin America, responsible for an enormous amount on buidlings from the modern movement, are in urgent need for education models to handle the preservation but also usage of modern movement architecture in urban areas. We all can learn from this current development. The conference gives insight into two outstanding course programmes in Venezuela and Brazil.
On the other hand conservation professionals from Austrian and German universities report from their experiences, pointing out the importance of the active involvement of spezialised conservators and their expertise in the degradation and conservation process of so-called ,,modern materials” like plastics or concrete in any planning process.
,,Enhanced documentation” as a methodological tool, which is currently developed in a partner project between the University of Applied Arts Vienna and the Federal Office, will show an innovative way of documentation for Postwar buildings, which can not be preserved for certain reasons.
Turning from theory to practise experts from the Federal Office will report about their daily problems and solutions.
A one-day-excursion will offer enough room for discussions about current projects in and around Vienna.

Conference language: English
Conference fee (incl. excursion by bus): EUR 60.- /Students: EUR 10.-

Registration and information

E: kons-rest@uni-ak.ac.at