December 9, 2014

Southern California boasts an unparalleled legacy of Modern architecture. Throughout the twentieth century, the region served as a veritable laboratory for new architectural ideas and forms, expressed in everything from small-scale residential architecture to commercial and monumental civic buildings. These aging structures, so integral to the region's landscape, now present architectural and conservation practitioners with a range of challenges—such as adapting obsolete buildings to modern uses, meeting energy efficiency needs while preserving character-defining features, or sensitively restoring features and finishes that have been lost over time—which demand the development of innovative solutions.

This evening's program showcased six recent projects by Los Angeles-area practitioners, each highlighting a different preservation challenge and building type, and presented by the practitioners themselves.

The event was "Powered by PechaKucha," a simple presentation format in which speakers show 20 images, each for 20 seconds, making for a fast-paced and lively evening.

This event was presented in conjunction with Getty Conservation Institute's Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative, which seeks to advance the practice of conserving twentieth-century heritage.