History / Preservation

Last week, the long saga over the preservation of Bertrand Goldberg's Prentice Hospital entered its nadir with the start of demolition. But could the intensity of the building's defense lead to a reinvigoration of preservation around Modernism?

October 16, 2013 - Next City

Melanie D.G. Kaplan examines a growing trend in adaptive reuse—the transformation of old and underutilized bridges into elevated parks, walkways, and engines of economic development.

October 15, 2013 - SmartPlanet

For those who think architectural history isn’t something to sniff at, a new exhibition at the California College of the Arts aims to convince otherwise.

October 14, 2013 - Archinect

This week the World Monuments Fund (WMF) published their biannual list of the globe's cultural heritage most at risk "from the forces of nature and the impact of social, political, and economic change." 67 sites in 41 countries made this year's list.

October 11, 2013 - Architect Magazine

The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) and the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota (PAM) have reached a settlement with the City of Minneapolis to preserve and rehabilitate Peavey Plaza, ending a lawsuit brought by the groups to prevent demolition.

October 8, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper Blog

Told over four parts meant to evoke chapters in a storybook using films, photos, archive materials, text, and miniature games, this "Op-Doc" is a short masterclass in the 2,500-year global history of vertical living.

October 8, 2013 - The New York Times

In an illustrated essay, Chuck Wolfe contrasts the ideal form of the New England town with an abandoned French village, calling out the human infrastructure essential to successful urban places.

October 8, 2013 - myurbanist

Using high definition scanners, digital modeling, and Scan-to-BIM software, consultants and non-profits are helping to restore historic structures following natural disasters, and cataloging treasures before calamity strikes.

October 7, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper

Who needs four years of costly undergraduate education in History (sorry Mom & Dad) when you can just consult John B. Sparks' "Histomap" of 1931. Writing in Slate's "The Vault" blog, Rebecca Onion looks at the 5-foot-long guide to world history.

October 4, 2013 - Slate

Mahatma Gandhi's utilization of non-violent civil disobedience to fight for civil rights is taught to school children around the world, but his views on the importance of biking and walking are less well known. Navdeep Asija investigates.

October 3, 2013 - The City Fix

A new exhibition on Greco-Roman mapmaking at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World in New York examines the relationship between geographic and metaphysical world views.

October 3, 2013 - The New York Times

This year's Stirling Prize, the highest honor awarded by the Royal Institute of British Architects, has gone to Witherford Watson Mann architects for their deft renovation of historic Astley Castle, which was destroyed by fire in 1978.

September 27, 2013 - The Guardian

Gabrielle Esperdy explores the development of an online encyclopedia of American architecture — and argues that metadata is a crucial tool for future historians.

September 24, 2013 - Places Journal

Utah's San Rafael Swell is the scene of an energy showdown between conservationists who want to preserve this unique landscape (potentially a national monument), private oil and gas companies that want to drill there, and the BLM that has to decide.

September 23, 2013 - The New York Times - U.S.

A warehouse, electricity substation, and brutalist apartment complex are among the buildings recently granted heritage protection by the British government. Heritage designation for post-war architecture, however, remains contentious.

September 23, 2013 - The Guardian

Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood has been the focus of battles over gentrification for decades. Sarah Wesseler examines recent developments in the neighborhood in light of this history.

September 22, 2013 - Satellite Magazine

As the Tour Montparnasse turns 40, the much-despised office tower is getting a makeover. With a new lighting display and plans to replace its windows, the tower is trying to alter its image. But are the renovations likely to change perceptions?

September 19, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

Following up on their acclaimed guide to D.C., the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has published the "Landscape Architect’s Guide to Boston". Go beyond the Freedom Trail and discover what makes Boston a long-time urban innovator.

September 19, 2013 - ASLA's The Dirt blog

While the 2000-year-old quest to locate the submerged island of Atlantis continues to this day, plenty of cities have suffered the same fate. The futurist website io9 looks at several "once-majestic" cities now buried beneath the sea.

September 19, 2013 - io9

Writing for the blog of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Kaitlin O’Shea presents a brief history of the formal playground and explores the challenges of preserving these relics of our cultural history without compromising child safety.

September 19, 2013 - PreservationNation