The Value of Others: Modern Heritage and Historiographic Inequity

Inspired by growing calls for the equitable recognition of other experiences—especially non-white and non-western—in the historiography of the modern era, this paper explores the themes of transnational architectural practice and cosmopolitanism through the lens of cultural heritage—specifically modern heritage—and how values are ascribed, invariably asymmetrically, to the tangible and intangible legacies of our recent past. In deference to the theme of Cosmopolitanism’s Others, the paper argues for equitable histories not merely as an intellectual exercise, but as a prerequisite to attaining just and sustainable futures. One small step in this direction is the formulation of The Cape Town Document on Modern Heritage (2022) under the auspices of the global collaborative, MoHoA (Modern Heritage of Africa/Modern Heritage in the Anthropocene), a decentring and restitutive framework for an equitable and sustainable approach to the theory and practice of modern heritage in a planetary age

Co-Curating the Cape Town Document on Modern Heritage

The Modern Heritage of Africa [MoHoA] programme was set up to support an equitable and sustainable heritage agenda in Africa and beyond through the research, protection, utilisation, reinterpretation and reconceptualisation of modern heritage and to contribute to improving the implementation of the World Heritage Convention across the African continent and in other areas of under-representation and historical marginalisation. It was conceptualised as a two phased process with first phase intended to interrogate the experiences of Africa and Africans to understand why the continent, its peoples and its cultures are under-represented on global, regional, and even local registers of modern heritage, and to assess the threats posed to this heritage by impending planetary crises. The authors present the four goals of the first phase, the process that led to development of The Cape Town Document, and the 2021 Cape Town Document on Modern Heritage

Modern Heritage between Care and Risk

The International Conference “Modern Heritage between Care and Risk” (Venice, 4-5th May 2021) was held at Università Iuav di Venezia, in collaboration with Fondation Le Corbusier and Docomomo Italia. The event offered an opportunity for an international exchange on crucial issues of documentation and preservation of the 20th century architectural heritage in a time of rapid social, cultural and political changes. The first day has been dedicated to “Ahmedabad. Laboratory of Modern Architecture”, a site-manifesto threatened today by the demolition of relevant dormitories of the Indian Institute of Management by Louis I. Kahn. The second day has been dedicated to “Living the Architectural Preservation. Modern Houses in the Conservation of 20th Century Heritage”, focused on recent conservation/restoration works of Modern authorial houses and neighbourhoods. The proceedings collect selected papers presented by international researchers and architects involved in the fields of History of Architecture and Architectural Preservation

Sustainable reuse of modern movement heritage buildings : problems and solutions in Scotland and Italy

Many buildings which were built in the 20th century, and due to their exceptional architectural value included in the lists of built heritage, are sometimes standing vacant for different reasons. This paper investigates the problems that need to be resolved to enable a sustainable reuse of various types of modern heritage buildings. The investigation is undertaken through case studies of some modern heritage buildings in Scotland and Italy in order to identify common problems and regional differences in enabling the reuse of those buildings. In addition, some examples of the reuse of modern built heritage are presented to highlight what has contributed to the reuse, and whether and how that meets the current environmental requirements, and the local social and economic needs. The research indicates how public and private organisations have contributed to the successful reuse of modern built heritage and what problems they encounter in the efforts to provide new uses for the remaining vacant buildings. The investigation examines how economic, social, environmental, functional, structural and design aspects impact on defining new uses for modern heritage buildings. The analysis of the above requirements through the selected case studies leads to the recommendations on the key issues, strategies and tactics that should be considered to enable an appropriate and timely reuse of the 20th century built heritage

Seismic assessment via EC8 of modern heritage structures:Knowledge of the structure and analysis methodologies

Given the interest earned recently by modern heritage structures, seismic assessment criteria of Eurocode 8, for ordinary reinforced concrete structures, are applied to a modern heritage RC building. The case study, the Tower of the Nations in Naples, allows a discussion on knowledge approaches, analysis methodologies and modeling choices that can be considered. Modal dynamic identification, in situ inspections, and testing provided the necessary knowledge of the structure. Linear and nonlinear models of the structure are built up accounting for tuff infills' stiffness and strength contribution. Numerical modal properties are compared with those obtained through dynamic identification. Lumped plasticity model for reinforced concrete elements and equivalent strut macro models for tuff and concrete infills are employed for the nonlinear model of the structure. Seismic assessment through nonlinear dynamic analyses is carried out for two Limit States. Finally, fragility curves through cloud analysis are obtained for the different limit states considered. </jats:p

3D Data Processing Toward Maintenance and Conservation. The Integrated Digital Documentation of Casa de Vidro

During the last decade, 3D integrated surveys and BIM modelling procedures have greatly improved the overall knowledge on some Brazilian Modernist buildings. In this framework, the Casa de Vidro 3D survey carried out by DIAPReM centre at Ferrara University, beside the important outputs, analysis and researches achieved from the point cloud database processing, was also useful to test several awareness increasing activities in cooperation with local stakeholders. The first digital documentation test of the Casa de Vidro allowed verifying the feasibility of a full survey on the building towards the restoration and possible placement of new architectures into the garden as an archive-museum of the Lina Bo and P.M. Bardi Foundation. Later, full 3D integrated survey and diagnostic analysis were carried out to achieve the total digital documentation of the house sponsored by the Keeping it Modern initiative of Getty Foundation (Los Angeles). Following its characteristics, the survey had to take into consideration the different architectural features, up to the relationship of architecture and nature. These 3D documentation activities and the point cloud processing allowed several analysis in a multidisciplinary framework

The Neue Nationalgalerie by Mies van der Rohe between Preservation and Minimal Improvement

The NeueNationalgalerie (1968) is considered an icon of the 20th century and part of the legacy of Mies van der Rohe. Almost 50 years after its construction the building showed some physiological decay; however, it has been considered obsolete due to the changing standards of use and comfort of an international art gallery affected also by a growing flux of visitors.The paper investigates the future of such an icon of modern architecture moving from some open issues of the intervention carried out by David Chipperfield started up in 2015 and now in an advanced stage. The refurbishment is pursuing the modernization of the building, but trying to match the historical values with the requirements of climate control and safety. The binomials memories/requirements and authenticity/form are at the base of the investigation. Although the intervention confirms the continuity of original use and it is aimed at keeping the image of the icon, it imposes transformations that belong to very different strategies, sometimes incompatible with the preservation of material meanings and values. The restoration work on modern heritage outlines how new cultural and socio-economic needs confront themselves with respecting/reproducing the appearance of the monument

Eurocode-based seismic assessment of modern heritage RC structures:The case of the <i>Tower of the Nations</i> in Naples (Italy)

Given the interest earned recently by modern heritage structures, seismic assessment criteria of Eurocode 8 for ordinary reinforced concrete structures are applied to a modern heritage RC building. This case study, the Tower of the Nations in Naples, was designed at the end of 1930s. Modal dynamic identification, in situ inspections and testing provided the necessary knowledge of the structure in terms of geometry, structural details, and material properties. Two nonlinear models of the structure are built up in both the hypotheses of accounting and not accounting for tuff infills’ stiffness and strength contribution. Lumped plasticity model for reinforced concrete elements and equivalent strut macro-models for tuff and concrete infills are employed. Seismic assessment through nonlinear dynamic analyses is carried out for both limit states of Significant Damage and Damage Limitation. Assessment of bare and infilled models emphasizes a lower demand in terms of maximum interstorey drift of the infilled model with respect to the bare model, for both limit states considered. Record-to-record variability for the sets of seven records becomes larger if infills strength and stiffness contribution is taken into account. Outcome of the assessment is not affected by infills, i.e. the structure can be considered safe (according to EC8 provisions) for both limit states, and in both modeling hypotheses. On the other hand, the ratio demand over capacity, for both the limit states considered, is strictly influenced by infills’ contribution. Assessment tools provided for ordinary RC structures can be addressed to modern heritage buildings as shown in this case study, even if specific care is necessary for nonlinear structural modeling in case of non-conventional structural elements and non-conventional structural materials (e.g., tuff infills in lieu of clay hollow brick infills)

Non-linear finite element assessment analysis of a modern heritage structure

A synthesis of a non-linear finite element structural assessment enquiry carried out on a monumental modern heritage building is reported in this paper. The study includes a buckling analysis of the slender steel beams constituting a mushroom-type roof, and an ―integral‖ seismic pushover analysis of the supporting R/C columns. The computational solutions obtained for the steel roof beams are compared to the results derived from a calculation of the critical stress of beam panels, and the global lateral-torsional buckling resistance of members developed according to the Technical Standards adopted for structural verifications. The unconventional ―full-cracking‖ pushover application to the R/C columns offers detailed simulation of the evolution of their non-linear response, which is discussed in the paper, along with the most significant parameter and procedure choices made in the analysis