A new endangered species: Modern architecture

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library is at the center of a debate on whether such buildings are worth saving.

from the June 20, 2007 edition

Page 2 of 3

Page 1 | 2 | Page 3

The WMF report lists Riverview High School in Sarasota, Fla., designed by Paul Rudolph in 1957, and Grosse Pointe Public Library in Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., designed by Marcel Breur in 1953, as significant examples. Boston's City Hall, designed by Gerhard Kallmann, Noel McKinnell, and Edward Knowles in 1962, is another controversial case, and a decision on historic landmark status is pending.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, considered one of the premier architects of the Modern style, designed the MLK library in 1968.

'You love it, or you hate it'

Modernism has always been controversial and has faced intense criticism for what many in the design community see as a promotion of a sterile and boxy aesthetic. "Either you love it, or you hate it," says Joan Brierton, a historic preservation expert for the US General Services Administration's Center for Historic Buildings.

MLK library archivist Ryan Semmes says that he finds the building "drab looking" and uninviting. On the other hand, David Fixler, a Modernism preservationist and a architect based in Boston, says the MLK library is "well built" and "adds to the city.... Every effort should be made to bring that building back."

Perception and renovation problems

Advocates of Modern architecture say such buildings must wrestle with the public's perception of what deserves preservation.

"We're so ingrained in the idea that Victorian is 'historic,' " Ms. Brierton says. "It's very hard to move people away from that era and convince them that ... you move forward and apply those same principles to midcentury."

But the actual threat to Modern architecture stems mostly from real-world concerns. "These buildings are not necessarily energy efficient," Hylton admits, making them costly to maintain and, subsequently, even more costly to retrofit with green technology.

1 | Page 2 | 3 | Next Page