Getty Foundation Announces 2019 “Keeping It Modern” Architectural Conservation Grants
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The Getty Foundation announced more than $1.6 million in architectural conservation grants dedicated to 10 significant buildings of the 20th century as part of its “Keeping It Modern” initiative.The 2019 grants stretch across four continents and extendsGetty Foundation Announces 2019 “Keeping It Modern” Architectural Conservation Grants
The Getty Foundation announced more than $1.6 million in architectural conservation grants dedicated to 10 significant buildings of the 20th century as part of its “Keeping It Modern” initiative.The 2019 grants stretch across four continents and extends “Keeping It Modern” geographic reach into several new countries: Argentina, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Mozambique, Spain, and Uganda. The types of buildings represented range from a Soviet-era monument to a beloved church, and from a soaring exhibition hall to an inventive railway station. Since its inception in 2014, “Keeping It Modern” has supported 64 national and international model conservation projects that emphasize research and planning. “The initiative has also created new networks of professionals involved in the conservation of modern buildings. To solidify this impact, the Getty Foundation will offer one more year of direct project support in 2020 and fund a series of workshops that build capacity in regions with large concentrations of modern heritage,” says the press release.“‘Keeping It Modern’ grants are making a collective impact, with stewards of modern buildings increasingly adopting comprehensive planning as a long-term strategy,” says Joan Weinstein, director of the Getty Foundation. “Our grantees are putting in the work, delivering fantastic results, and sharing their findings with the field to lift the level of architectural conservation practice worldwide.”One of the common themes this year is adaptive reuse, an issue of growing importance as modern buildings age and their original purpose may need to change with the times. A fine example is the Buzludzha Monument located in Eastern Europe, a region where many significant Soviet-era buildings are in need of preservation. It is built on a mountaintop location to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Bulgarian Socialist movement, the unique design of this massive disc-shaped concrete structure is visible for miles. “After its opening in 1981, the monument became one of the most popular sites in Bulgaria with hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. It was closed in 1989 and abandoned afterwards, but is still widely recognized for its achievements in architectural design and engineering. The Foundation’s grant will fund a conservation management plan to explore viable new functions for the building and ensure future preservation. Additionally, the process for listing the building as a national heritage site has already begun,” adds the release. https://www.blouinartinfo.com/ Founder: Louise Blouin Read more