How to protect our modernist legacy

We love to love modernism. Its myriad typological iterations, regional interpretations and sub-genres – such as brutalism, midcentury modern and minimalism – eloquently tell a story of vision, innovation and exploration that fascinates to this day. The International Style has, after all, been at the core of the Wallpaper* DNA since its inception in 1996, as a brave new world in design and lifestyle publishing met the 20th century’s most influential architecture movement front and centre.

The legacy of modernism: back to the future

Nearly 30 years on, and with some of the movement’s older buildings fast approaching their centenary (modernism’s point of birth is hard to pin down, but it roughly coincides with the first decades of the 20th century), we stand at a critical crossroads when it comes to the legacy of modernist architecture. Layering on the challenges brought by climate change to the natural course of a building’s life, it is clear that this large body of work increasingly needs our attention as gems from the era come under threat of demolition or neglect. Yet, beyond their historical significance, modernist works, now spanning the length and breadth of our planet, can still play an active, key role in the future of our built environment – not least because reuse can be a powerful tool in our efforts towards a sustainable future.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach on the road ahead. The way forward
in protecting our modernist legacy can be as rich and varied as the designs within the movement itself. Some of these structures remain beloved homes whose interiors developed organically as life progressed, such as writer Michael Webb’s unit in Los Angeles within the Richard Neutra-designed Strathmore Apartments, once the home of Charles and Ray Eames. With the smoke barely dispersed after the city’s devastating fires in January, discussing the future of many of these modernist treasures in California and beyond has become a pressing topic within the industry.

Other midcentury buildings lend themselves to becoming hubs for education and research – and the lesser-known ones have lots to offer, providing an important, intimate, everyday view of living the modernist dream. The home of sculptor Marta Pan and architect André Wogenscky, in Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, just outside Paris, is such a case. Built in 1952, it became a foundation after its last owner’s death in 2014. Today, it welcomes visitors wishing to learn more about the creative couple’s life and work, thereby future-proofing their modernist home.

The answer to securing a building’s future does not necessarily lie in preserving it in aspic. Allowing adaptation can be equally key in ensuring structures thrive and provide an inspiring, fit-for-purpose envelope for contemporary life. North London townhouse Pine Heath exemplifies this through a smart redesign that revitalised a tired 1960s residence in an environmentally conscious way. The winner of a recent Wallpaper* Design Award, Alvar Aalto’s Finlandia Hall in Helsinki (see W*310), and schemes such as London’s Space House – the recent redesign of this listed Richard Seifert & Partners office building gained it a coveted (and the first for its kind) BREEAM Outstanding certification – showcase how sensitive restoration of such landmarks can yield some fascinating results. So here’s to the next century of modernist architecture.