16/09/2021
Friday, 17 September 2021, 2 – 5 pm CEST (CET+1 / UCT+2)
Please register for the symposium here:
https://www.seam-encounters.net/prog.../future-of-modernity/
There will also be a live stream on the ARCH+ page: https://www.facebook.com/archplus
ARCHIVING ARCHITECTURE: A FEW APPROACHES TAKEN BY THE GEOFFREY BAWA TRUST, COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
Shayari de Silva, Curator of Art & Archival Collections, Geoffrey Bawa Trust, Colombo, Sri Lanka, will report on her work in our symposium THE FUTURE OF MODERNITY next Friday, 17 September.
The Geoffrey Bawa Trust is a non-profit organization established by the late Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa in 1982. Its objective is furthering the fields of architecture, the fine arts, and ecological and environmental studies. The trust is largely self-sufficient in maintaining and preserving the buildings and collections in the architect’s estate in the context of its base in Sri Lanka. The trust believes that the occupation and utilization of the buildings is integral to their conservation given their geographic and climatic contexts. The model developed by the trust integrates the tourism industry with conservation to maintain feasibility.
THE FUTURE OF MODERNITY
Friday, 17 September 2021, 2 – 5 pm CEST (CET+1 / UCT+2)
Please register for the symposium here:
https://www.seam-encounters.net/prog.../future-of-modernity/
There will also be a live stream on the ARCH+ page: https://www.facebook.com/archplus
PROGRAMME:
Upon gaining independence in the mid-20th century, many cities in Southeast Asia changed dramatically in terms of their physical appearance. The task of becoming an independent nation was accompanied by the desire for a symbolic new beginning in architecture and urban planning. International modernism not only offered an aesthetic programme that reflected expectations of progress and prosperity, but also served as a means of emancipation from the colonial powers. Local modernities were created, based on an understanding of cultural specifics and the climatic requirements of building in tropical regions.
Today, however, the built legacy of this transformational period is increasingly under threat. Rapid urbanization and the accompanying rise in property values, reassessments of local architectural histories that are often politically motivated, and demands to adapt old buildings to new uses are causing ever more iconic structures to be razed or disfigured through careless modifications. And such developments are not limited to Southeast Asia. In Germany as well, architecture from the 1950s to 1970s is falling victim to demolition for very similar reasons.
It is therefore necessary to exchange views, examine successes, discuss strategies, and to determine what added value is created for society if buildings from this period are preserved. What concepts are being discussed in Germany today, and how do they correspond to strategies being implemented in Southeast Asia? How can contemporary usage concepts for modernist buildings be developed? What kinds of arguments could help secure a future for these buildings?
Contributions:
"Strategies, Progress, and Prospects: Southeast Asian Modernity"
Johannes Widodo, Director of the Graduate Programmes in Architectural Conservation and of the Tun Tan Cheng Lock Centre for Asian Architectural and Urban Heritage in Melaka at the Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore
"SOS Brutalism: Expanding knowledge, exhibiting monsters"
Oliver Elser, Curator, Deutsches Architekturmuseum DAM (German Architecture Museum), Frankfurt/Main, initiator of the research project SOSBrutalism
"Conserving the City’s Heritage: Architectural Modernism in Yangon"
Moe Moe Lwin, Director of Yangon Heritage Trust, Yangon, Myanmar
"Modernist buildings in Berlin - How to deal with them?"
Christoph Rauhut, State Conservator and Director of the Berlin State Monument Authority
"Archiving Architecture: A Few Approaches Taken by the Geoffrey Bawa Trust, Colombo"
Shayari de Silva, Curator Art & Archival Collections, Geoffrey Bawa Trust, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Moderation:
Shirley Surya, Curator for Design and Architecture, M+, Museum for Visual Culture, Hongkong
Photo: Ena de Silva house; image by Banuka Vithana; 2020
