If you are a fan of mid-century modern architecture, Columbus, Indiana, is not to be missed. I drove straight there after hearing this NPR story about the “The Midwest Mecca of Architecture” in 2012, and was thus thrilled to attend Richard McCoy’s presentation on the subject. The town of 44,000 residents boasts 7 of Indiana’s 35 National Historic Landmarks. 6 were designed between 1942 – 1965, when Cummins Inc. elected to pay all architect fees for new civic structures, attracting the likes of Eliel and Eero Saarinen, Richard Meier, I.M. Pei, Harry Weese, Henry Moore, and Dale Chihuly, to name a few. Construction of schools, churches, parks, and office buildings was founded on the principle that the built environment is crucial to a quality community.
McCoy has been tasked with forming a preservation plan to preserve Columbus’ architectural wealth, while not restricting the town’s ability to grow and thrive within its historic landscape. His talk, retitled “The Columbus Challenge”, discussed the initial stages of guiding the town- and its residents- into a new way of caring for its cultural heritage.
What is the goal? To create a preservation process for historic architecture, landscaping, and public art located within the Columbus Arts District. The plan should be: useful and fun, foster community, educate, raise and distribute funds, and provide for a sustainable future.
How? First, put information in highly visible places. As McCoy states: “If you can’t Google it and get back good information, then it doesn’t exist”.
Actions: Wikipedia inventories of landmarks, modern and historic buildings, public art, as well as architect biographies were published. Public artworks were also made accessible on The Public Art Archive and CultureNOW’s Museum Without Walls. Several previously undocumented artworks were ‘discovered’, and a total of 440 building entries were recorded during the inventory process.
Next steps: Develop stakeholder support and engagement, as well as connect with allied organizations, understanding that all answers to a preservation policy must originate from- and be sustained by- the community itself.
Your next step: Visit Columbus. Take a tour and then eat ice cream at Zaharakos’ (est. 1900) marble counter.
Category: Architectural Conservation
42nd Annual Meeting – Architecture + Objects Joint Session, 29 May, 2014, “Preservation Planning and Mid-Century Modern Materials: Tools to Promote Strategic and Sustainable Building Conservation” by Lacey Bubnash and Katie Horak
In this presentation, I was looking forward to learning about the approaches that are taken in the preservation and conservation of modern built heritage.
Lacey Bubnash (Architectural Conservator at Architectural Resources Group) and Katie Horak (Senior Associate at Architectural Resources Group and Adjunct Lecturer at the School of Architecture, University of Southern California) shared their experience of preservation planning for The Village Green, also known as the Baldwin Hills Village, in Los Angeles.
Built in 1941-1942, the Village Green is a modern housing complex that includes residential buildings (today occupied as condos) with garages, community structures, such as a clubhouse and maintenance building, and large open spaces. The complex was designed with the idea of providing affordable housing for the pre-World War II community. On this account, inexpensive and mass-produced materials were used to construct the complex.
In their presentation, Lacey spoke about the site documentation that she and Katie prepared and reviewed during this phase, including the Historic Structure Report and Cultural Landscape Report respectively. These reports identify challenges for the site’s preservation and conservation, such as the presence of mid-century modern materials, and include recommendations for preservation and conservation treatments.
Lacey also presented about the application that she and Katie submitted for the Village Green’s inclusion in the Mills Act Property Tax Abatement Program. This Program is a financial incentive for historic preservation in California. It binds the participating city and the property owner in a contract that sees the reduction in property taxes in return for the property owner’s restoration and maintenance of the property. Their application was successful in obtaining a Mills Act designation for the Village Green.
I found this presentation to be a very interesting glimpse into the planning and preparations for the preservation and conservation of built heritage. I enjoyed learning about the process involved in such a large and multifaceted project – encompassing both built structures and designed landscapes – that bears the additional challenges of dealing with modern design concepts and materials.
42nd Annual Meeting – Architecture + Objects Joint Session, 29 May, 2014, “Conservation Realities and Challenges: from Auto Regulation to Imposition at Archaeological and Historical Sites in Colombia” by Maria Paula Alvarez
I was drawn to this presentation on account of my background in archaeology. Although I have never had the chance to visit Colombia, I was very interested to hear about the challenges, that Colombian conservators, archaeologists, and other allied professionals encounter in their efforts to preserve their country’s archaeological and historical sites.
Maria Paula Alvarez, Director at the Corporacion Proyecto Patrimonio, presented a number of interesting case studies to illustrate the types of conservation and preservation problems that she and her colleagues face and work on solving. Her examples included assessments, research, testing, and treatments at
1) archaeological sites, such as:
- The Archaeological Site of Fuente de Lavapatas, where the conservation issue was stone deterioration. Extensive studies – including the evaluation of the environmental conditions at the site and the geological and physical properties of the affected stone – were conducted to determine the causes of deterioration. As well, testing of treatment materials – including biocides for controlling biodeterioration and consolidants for disintegrated areas – were undertaken.
- The Archaeological Park of Facatativa, where panels of rock art were deteriorating not only as a result of exposure to the natural environment, but also as a result of exposure to humans. Both biodeterioration and vandalism in the form of graffiti were damaging to the rock art panels. The panels received conservation attention for both problems.
2) and historical monuments, such as:
- The Jimenez de Quesada Monument in the city of Bogota, which had been damaged as a result of vandalism in the form of graffiti. The monument received a conservation treatment that included both the removal of the graffiti as well as the application of a coating to protect the monument against future graffiti vandalism.
In all of the cases that she presented, Maria spoke about the effect of the political, social, and economical climate on the sites’ conservation and preservation. She stressed the impact that such climates have on cultural heritage, from the care to the destruction of sites. She explained how various political, social, and economical circumstances have led her and her colleagues to determine goals and procedures for conservation and preservation projects. I found these concepts very powerful. For me, this presentation was a strong reminder of the complexities involved in the preservation of cultural heritage.
42nd Annual Meeting – Architecture Session, 31 May, "Lime-Metakaolin Grouts for Conservation" by Norman Weiss
This technical talk discussed a new method and material for architectural conservation. Norman Weiss began by addressing the problems of lime grouts, and the nature of metakaolin. The problem of lime grouts is the anaerobic nature of the area the lime is being applied to, as the lime requires carbon dioxide from air for the setting phase of the lime cycle. Metakaolin is a class N pozzelan, a ‘thermally activated clay’, where dehydroxylation is accompanied by a loss of crystal structure. Metakaolin is between fumed silica (0.3 µm) and Portland cement (5 µm) in terms of particle size. Metakaolin is very quickly and specifically dehydroxylated between 500 and 530 degrees Celsius, a process which Weiss noted you “don’t have to finesse”.
Weiss continued by addressing the purpose of pozzelans within architectural conservation. The material must densify and fill gaps, must strengthen in order to create bonds, must reduce the amount of cement needed, and must reduce the amount of ‘bleed water’ in order to be the most desirable pozzelan possible. Metakaolin has the potential to achieve all of these goals, if used in a specific way.
This material has been previously looked at somewhat, the first study having been completed in 1993, and the commercial introduction of the material in 1994. Weiss also noted that there has been a lot of research into metakaolin as a grout in Portugal.
Metakaolin has a high water demand, and is not great for a grout, as it does not set well; in order to function, it requires a superplasticizer. Weiss and his colleagues have experimented with the reaction between lime and metakaolinite, which forms Straetlingite. What seemed to be the most important part of this talk was the discussion of the new methodology that Weiss and his colleagues have developed and patented using this material. The wall is mechanically stabilized, and the void is filled through a tube. This method gives the material the time necessary for the slow-strengthening material to achieve the necessary strength.
It will be interesting to see in the future the results of further study and case studies of completed projects using this material and methodology.
41st Annual Meeting – Architecture Session, May 30, “Fifteen Shades of Grey…? Paint Color Analysis on the Eames House,” by Emily MacDonald-Korth, Alan Phenix, Tom Learner, and Kyle Normandin
The Eames house was designed in 1949 by Charles and Ray Eames as the eighth house in the case study house program of the Arts & Architecture magazine. The Eames lived in the home until their deaths; after 1988 the house remained untouched. In 2011, the contents of the living room were reassembled at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) for an exhibition. It was at this time that the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) provided investigation and scientific analysis to determine the conservation issues and plans for the house. The 2011-2012 initiative of the Eames House conservation program was to determine the paint stratigraphy of the interior and exterior of the home. This presentation discussed the approach, technology used, sample extraction, and findings for the Eames House investigation.
The study included 15 samples and 6 in-situ investigations from the interior and exterior of the house. In on-site storage, the team located painted plates and several date labeled paint cans that were used for comparison. The team deployed the use of optical microscopy, EDS cross-sectional photo, micrographs, and stratigraphic examination in order to identify the layers of paint present. It was noted that the limited number of samples may not represent all of the paint layers present, for this reason cross-sectional and in-situ excavation were used in conjunction of each other to cross reference findings.
To begin the study, the team identified the known timeline of painting campaigns, for this they relied on historical documentation. The following was known about the house:
- 1949-House built
- 1978-Charles’ death
- 1978-repair campaign
- 1988-Ray’s death
- 1989-painting campaign
- 1994-painting repair
- 2003-painting campaign
- The house & studio show similar paint layers, but the interiors differ
Initial comparison of exterior cross-section and excavation indicate that the two areas have similar stratigraphy. When in comparison, they were able to loosely date the layers to the appropriate painting campaigns. Paint extractions were then separated by paint layers and material composition. The team was able to determine that the earlier paint layers were mixed through subtractive color mixing; this type of mixing technology indicates that great care went into the color mixing and selection process.
Primer layers show that a warm grey was the first layer, with no evidence of dirt between the layers. At this time it was hypothesized that the exterior color was changed to black from 1978-1988. The paint analysis showed a series of gray paints with compositional overlap and two zinc based primer layers. Most samples have two layers below the zinc primer that are the same in composition to the exterior first two layers. Based on these results, it was determined that the first generation warm gray layer exists on the interior and exterior of the house.
AIC's 41st Annual Meeting – Architecture Session, May 30, “Bringing Modern Back: restoring 1930s Aluminum Finishes,” by Helen M. Thomas-Haney and Xsusha Flandro
Helen M. Thomas-Haney and Xsusha Flandro discussed their research and investigation of restoring aluminum finishes at a train station. Discovered in 1825 by Hans Christian Oersted, aluminum was used in jewelry and decorations into the mid-nineteenth century. The first architectural use of aluminum in the United States was for the cap of the Washington Monument in 1884. As production increased and price decreased, aluminum began to be more widely used in commercially available products. By the 1920s, aluminum was being used on many buildings in Vienna, in modernist movement buildings, and on the Empire State Building. Companies such as ALCOA Aluminum advertised aluminum as weather resistant and structurally sound. It’s ease of being manipulated made aluminum popular as decorative ornamentation on exteriors, but also in Art Deco interiors.
Built in 1932, the train station was constructed of a copper roof, pine ceiling, and aluminum arch spandrels. The station had alterations over the years, including lead paint, the addition of billboards that pierced the aluminum panels, and graffiti. The conservation project began with research into project specifications, original drawings, and original finish specifications. Through research and material evidence, it was clear that the aluminum spandrels had three different types of mechanical finishes. Based on the historical terminology, these were identified as “satin”, “sand-blasted”, and “sand-blasted deplated”. The station remained in service during the restoration, so precautions were taken during paint removal and repair work. After the paint was removed, two different types of corrosion were revealed. Corrosion was especially significant in areas where the differing materials joined. Based on the containment issues caused by sandblasting to remove corrosion, other means of removal were necessary. Some corroded areas were patched and repaired, while other panels were taken offsite for restoration.
After surface preparation, the finishes were recreated in-situ. The “satin” finish was recreated by hand sanding with a coating to prevent corrosion. Initially, a bristle-blaster was used for the “sand-blasted” finish, but it did not complete the desired effect. The team later used aluminum oxide blasting for the finish. The “sand-blasted deplated” finish was completed with an aluminum patination process with a black patina buffed to gray.
41st Annual Meeting – Architecture Session, May 30, “Breaking the Cycle:the Role of Monitoring in the Watts Towers Conservation Project,” by Sylvia Schwerin Dorsch, Blanka Kielb, and Frank Preusser
The Watts Tower was created by Sabato Rodia from 1921-1954 and was constructed without the use of mechanical methods. It is composed of Portland cement, steel, ornamentation (glass, tile, stones, sea shells), wire mesh, and armature. Now a National Historic Landmark, the towers and other sculptures are showing signs of deterioration and material loss. Beginning in 2011, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the City of Los Angeles collaborated to conduct a materials evaluation in order to update the conservation plan and identify a new maintenance routine. Initial observations and investigations identified some of the issues to be mortar cracking, loss of ornament, armature corrosion from past treatments, adhesive and cohesive failures, and incompatibility of repair materials (i.e.,hydraulic cement, Portland cement, and traditional materials). The conservators wanted to better understand what repairs were successful and new causes of deterioration.
The team established a hypothesis that included multiple contributing factors to the deterioration of the towers. These factors included environmental concerns such as seismic and wind loads, but also thermal expansion, stresses, and moisture intrusion. Adjoining materials with different rates of thermal expansion led to the eventual detachment of ornamentation. With support from the UCLA engineering department, the team utilized displacement monitors to monitor the cracks in the tower. The team also employed infared thermography to visualize the heat profile of the central tower while also using time lapse photography. The results indicated that there was an uneven heating and cooling of central core. In conjunction with the displacement monitors, a tilt meter, accelerometer and thermocouples were used to measure the displacements caused by the thermal loading. It was determined that the central tower had a north tilt due to thermal expansion during the day. The accelerometer data also showed an increase in vibration frequency with change in temperature.
Another concern were the wind loads caused by the Santa Anna winds hailing from the deserts in the months of October through March. The winds caused ornament loss due to increase of movement and vibration. It was also determined that new cracks formed and existing cracks widened and narrowed during wind events. A dynamic wind sensor and weather station were used to monitor rain, temperature, humidity, and wind speed. The sensors confirmed that wind and seismic activity affected the tower, tilting the tower in correlation with wind speed. Two wind events in October 2012 and January 2013 corresponded with the base crack displacements.
The team concluded that it was necessary to accept that movement occurs and that re-treatment is necessary. To limit the amount of necessary intervention, it was important to use flexible repair materials that allowed for movement, such as elastomeric crack fillers. Polymer modified mortars with lower modulus of elasticity and flexible adhesives for ornament would also allow for movement. The treatment plan also included initiatives to slow the corrosion rate, increase the water repellancy and to modify the environment to provide a wind break northeast of the towers. It is also necessary to re-scan the tower every five years to determine if long term displacement has occurred.
41st Annual Meeting – Architecture Session, May 30, "An Evaluation of the Conservation History of Chagall's Les Quatre Saisons," by Jamie Clapper Morris
Jamie Clapper Morris, an associate at Wiss, Janney, Elsther Associates, Inc. presented this paper on behalf of Deborah Slaton, principal at Wiss, Janney, Elsther Associates, Inc. and herself.
Les Quatre Saisons is a mosaic by artist Marc Chagall, which is exhibited in a public plaza in the Loop district in downtown Chicago. It was a gift from Chagall to the people of Chicago in 1974, and it is located at the Chase Tower Plaza (formerly First National Bank of Chicago Plaza). The mosaic has tesserae placed on precast concrete panels with more than 250 colors. It was constructed in the Byzantine Style and assembled in southern France.
The original maintenance on this piece included biannual cleaning and annual sealing with silicon sealant. In 1988, the roof of the mosaic had completely deteriorated with 25% loss on the west side. In order to repair it, granite panels were put on the roof. In places where tesserae had fallen off, they were reinstalled in slightly different way in order to distinguish it from the original. In 1993, a bird deterrent gel was added but then removed because of staining. Visual assessment and lab studies were performed, including chemical analysis and scanning electron microscopy studies. The majority of the distress was on the west side. From 1995 to 1996, repairs were being performed on the adjacent plaza, and the mosaic was protected with an enclosure. A protective canopy was built for the mosaic, and wind tunnel studies were performed to ensure maximum protection. When repairing the mosaic, a lot of tesserae from the roof were used. The canopy was finished in 1996.
From 2009 to 2010, facade cleaning and limited condition assessments were performed, including some sounding and field microscopy. Expected distress was found. In 2011, a more detailed assessment was performed and it was sounded at 100% with xylophone mallets. Some expected distress included efflorescence and mortar loss. Limited maintenance was performed, including removing general atmospheric soiling, graffiti, and bird deterrent (which didn’t work). It was surface cleaned, and the graffiti was removed with acetone and water. Areas of loss were repaired and tesserae were re-installed. Ongoing maintenance is recommended.
Call for Papers: “Polychrome Sculpture: Decorative Practice and Artistic Tradition”
Interim Meeting of the ICOM-CC Working Group – Sculpture, Polychromy, and Architectural Decorations
Hosted by Tomar Polytechnic Institute
Tomar, Portugal
28-29 May 2013
This two day symposium will focus on artistic tradition within the field of polychrome sculpture relating to decorative practice. After two symposiums on construction techniques (Maastricht 2010 and Glasgow 2012), the main focus will now be on decorative practices, from painting materials, to varnishes or metal leaf applications, etc.
The meeting will be hosted by the Polytechnic Institute, Tomar (Portugal). Tomar is well known for the Convent of the Order of Christ (12th century),–originally a Templar stronghold–and one of Portugal’s most important historical and artistic monuments, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO in 1983. The Polytechnic Institute provides training for conservators in the form of a Master degree course in Conservation and Restoration.
The organizing committee and the ICOM-CC working group Sculpture, Polychromy, and Architectural Decoration invites papers and posters related to decorative practices within the field of polychrome sculpture and the conservation treatment of these objects. Several decorative techniques will be addressed such as painting techniques from different regions, gilding, estofado , use of incised and punched patterns, varnishes, lacquers, applications, etc.
The meeting will provide a forum for discussion between conservators, conservation scientists, researchers, educators and curators to discuss artistic practice within the field of polychrome sculpture. The symposium aims to bring together international experts on polychrome decorative practice and to provide an opportunity for the worldwide conservation community to exchange new research, experiences and expertise within this field.
Original papers are invited for submission to focus on case studies and advances in research and treatment of polychrome sculpture. Authors interested in presenting a paper or poster should submit an abstract (400 – 600 words) by 31 December, 2012 to icomccspadtomar2013 [at] gmail__com
Work should be original and not have been published previously. Contributions of work-in-progress are also welcome. Abstracts should be in English and include the contact information for the author(s) (affiliation, address, telephone, fax and e-mail). The abstracts will be reviewed by the Conference Organizing Committee, and authors will be informed by 31 January 2013. Full papers are to be delivered by 30 April 2013. It is the intention of the organisers to publish all accepted papers in English.
Further details regarding this conference will be posted on the home page of the ICOM-CC Working Group: Sculpture, Polychromy, and Architectural Decoration, which is at www.icom-cc.org/38/working-groups/sculpture,-polychromy,-and-architectural-decoration
The Conference Organizing Committee:
Ana Bidarra
ICOM-CC Working Group Assistant Coordinator: Sculpture, Polychromy, and Architectural Decoration
Private Conservator-Restorer
Rua Almirante Candido dos Reis No. 28 3T
3800-096 Aveiro
Portugal
+351 966590968
bidarra.ana [at] gmail__com
Kate Seymour
ICOM-CC Working Group Coordinator: Sculpture, Polychromy, and Architectural Decoration
Head of Education
Stichting Restauratie Atelier Limburg (SRAL)
Avenue Ceramique 224
6221 KX Maastricht
The Netherlands
+31 43 321 8444
k.seymour [at] sral__nl
Call for Papers: Heritage Wood – Research and Conservation in the 21st Century
Joint Interim Conference of three ICOM-CC working groups:
Wood, Furniture, and Lacquer
Scientific Research
Sculpture, Polychromy, and Architectural Decoration
National Museum in Warsaw, Poland
28-30 October, 2013
Hosted in collaboration with the National Museum in Warsaw, and the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw
The conference entitled “Heritage Wood: Research and Conservation in the 21st Century ” will focus on novel scientific methods and applied research into heritage wooden structures, as well as furniture, wooden sculpture, painted wood, gilded wood, varnished wood, lacquered wood, paintings on wooden supports, and all other heritage wooden objects.
Themes will include:
- Advances in scientific research applied to heritage wood for analysis and conservation
- The study and elucidation of mechanisms of wood damage and wood deterioration associated with environmental and physical conditions
- The interrelation between the wood and various finishing layers
- Novel conservation methods applied to unvarnished, varnished, polychrome, or gilded wood (sculptures, paintings on wooden supports, furnishings and furniture, architectural structures and decorations)
- Case studies highlighting problems associated with heritage wood conservation, novel solutions and appropriate treatments
- Case studies emphasizing complex research of artworks on wooden supports linking technical investigations with historical context and subsequent conservation treatment
The meeting will provide a forum for discussion between conservation scientists, researchers, educators and practising conservators. The conference aims to bring together international experts on heritage wood research and to provide a great opportunity for the worldwide conservation community to exchange new research, experiences and expertise.
It is the intention of the organizers to publish all accepted papers in English, however oral presentations at the conference will be allowed in both official languages of the meeting, Polish and English, and simultaneous translation will be provided.
Call for Papers deadline: February 28, 2013
Original papers are invited for submission to focus on case studies and advances in heritage wood research. Authors interested in presenting a paper or poster should submit an abstract (400 – 600 words) by February 28, 2013, to heritagewoodconservation2013 [at] gmail__com
Work should be original and not have been published previously. Contributions of work-in-progress are also welcome. Abstracts should be in English or Polish and include the contact information for the author(s) (affiliation, address, telephone, fax and e-mail). The abstracts will be reviewed by the Conference Organizing Committee and invited experts, and authors will be informed by April 30, 2013.
The Conference Organizing Committee:
Kate Seymour
Coordinator, ICOM-CC Sculpture, Polychromy, and Architectural Decoration Working Group
k.seymour [at] sral__nl
Austin Nevin
Coordinator, ICOM-CC Scientific Research Working Group,
austin.nevin [at] ifn__cnr__it
Dr Malgorzata Sawicki
Coordinator, ICOM-CC Wood, Furniture, and Lacquer Working Group
margaret.sawicki [at] ag__nsw__gov__au
Marcin Draniak
Coordinator–contacts with the Director, Head of Laboratory, National Museum in Warsaw
mdraniak [at] mnw__art__pl
Dr Elzbieta Pietrusinska-Pilecka
Art Science and Conservation Specialist
National Museum in Warsaw
epilecka [at] mnw__art__pl
Dorota Ignatowicz-Wozniakowska
Head of Conservation Department,
National Museum in Warsaw
dignatowicz [at] mnw__art__pl
Prof. Iwona Szmelter
Faculty of Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw
badania [at] asp__waw__pl