Tuesday, December 26, 2023 | |
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As the promise of a new year awaits in a few days, I invite you to reflect with me on the extraordinary journey of USModernist. Over the past 17 years, USModernist has advanced Modernism through our unrivalled digital archive, documenting over 20,000 Modernist houses and 130 important architects, scanning over 4.3 million pages of US architecture magazines going back to the 1800's, and winning 19 awards for leadership in historic preservation. Modernism fills us all with immense joy and fuels our ambition to reach even further.
Fueled by the unwavering support of donors nationwide, USModernist's accomplishments this past year reflect their sparks of inspiration as they explored our archives and attended our events. Their generosity enables us to plan the best strategies for documentation and advocacy for 2024 - and beyond. You can donate here.
Our work is far from over. Modernist houses still get bulldozed, stories remain untold, and the future of balanced architecture hangs in the balance. Organizations like the National Civic Arts Society have caused the introduction of the Beautifying Federal Civic Architecture Act in Congress that virtually eliminates Modernist design from future Federal buildings. Without your continued support, the Modernist legacy may fade into silence.
We invite you to join and support this important mission of documenting, preserving and promoting Modernist residential architecture. Your tax-deductible contribution of funds, securities, Bitcoin, or art ensures we continue to educate and inspire the next generation, fostering a deep understanding of our Modernist past that shapes a brighter optimistic tomorrow. Every contribution, big or small, plays a vital role in shaping the future of USModernist.
Become part of a passionate network dedicated to safeguarding the stories that define us - donate here. Please be in touch with any special requests.
With heartfelt gratitude,
George
George Smart HAIA | Executive Director
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The Owen Smith House Tour, Raleigh NC, Saturday, January 6, 10-3pm. Owen Smith was for years the longest practicing architect in North Carolina. He did many buildings but his own 1960 house in Raleigh's Country Club Hills was considered one of his best projects. At 5,000 square feet with a huge basement for his firm's office, it was for a time the largest local Modernist house in Raleigh. Now you can see this classic MCM house, with respectful updates and restorations by architect Andy Lawrence. Details and tickets. | |
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Thursday, January 11, 5-7pm. Leading by Design Exhibition Thirst4Architecture, Gregg Museum, Raleigh NC. NC State’s School of Design became a reality in September 1948 and rapidly gained a reputation as one of the top design schools in the nation. The most progressive school of architecture and allied arts in the South, it served as a hub of Modernist creativity. Led by Henry Kamphoefner, the school rocketed to fame in just a few years, with Frank Lloyd Wright himself visiting in 1950.
Over wine and appetizers, you'll see the remarkable exhibition Leading by Design on the school’s 75-year legacy showcasing artworks from the Gregg Museum’s permanent collection created by faculty past and present. Free, registration required.
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Dome Alone!
Saturday, January 27, 10-3pm, 301 Sky Lane, Pittsboro NC.
Ever dreamed about living inside a dome home? Experience it for yourself as NCModernist invites architecture enthusiasts to a unique tour of a stunning geodesic dome. This isn't just any house; it's a marvel of engineering and design, blending organic beauty with technology. Feel the embrace of the curved walls, a sensory experience unlike any traditional home can offer. Hear from the homeowner about their experience living in a dome and the unique challenges and joys it brings. Discover the possibilities of geodesic domes and support a great cause. All proceeds from the tour go directly to the nonprofit archive NCModernist. Space is limited, so reserve your timed entry spot today! Details and tickets.
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The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously to make Paul Rudolph's Modulightor building a New York City landmark at last week’s hearing. Further, the building was gifted to the Paul Rudolph Institute For Modern Architecture by Ernst Wagner, Rudolph's former partner. These actions protect the building for future generations and allow further research and study into Rudolph's work.
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The commission also approved Ulrich Franzen's Barkin Levin & Company Office Pavilion in Queens. | |
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Norman Foster won Architecture Sarasota's 2nd annual Philip Hanson Hiss Award which recognizes architects who have carried on the principles of Sarasota architecture, a movement that revolutionized Florida houses in the 1940s through the 1960s. Foster will receive the award on March 23 at a special ceremony at the Revere Quality House in Sarasota, designed by Paul Rudolph and Ralph Twitchell.
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The 1994 Martin Schwartz and Mel Cunanan House that Pierre Koenig designed in Santa Monica CA is for sale with a price tag of about $4.5M. | |
End of year cleaning? Need more room in your home, attic, basement, office, or oh-so-expensive storage unit? We accept donations of Modernist furniture, contemporary art, and architecture coffee-table-style books. What could be easier? We pick things up and you get a tax deduction. Contact us. | |
Endangered: HemisFair 1968 was a World's Fair in San Antonio TX. There was even a US postage stamp about it. One of the main buildings, the Texas Pavilion, designed by the Houston firm of Caudill, Rowlett & Scott, has since been one of the city's most distinctive sites. The Conservation Society of San Antonio has nominated the Texas Pavilion to the National Register of Historic Places. That nomination will be heard by the Texas Historical Commission State Board of Review on Saturday, January 13, 2024. Members of the public are invited to attend, speak, or submit written comments via email to: [email protected] before January 10. | |
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Tadao Ando designed a 2013 house in Malibu CA, right on the beach. Kanye West bought it for $57M in 2021 - only to gut it. Why? No one knows for sure but now the house is a huge gutted mess, selling for $53M. The Wests are into Modernist architecture. Last year, former wife Kim Kardashian engaged Ando to design a house for her in Palm Springs.
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Known as the Glass House and the Tree House, two houses on adjoining lots in Water Mill NY on the southern fork of Long Island NY's eastern end are for sale separately or as a package for $4.6M. 1100 Architect designed them. | |
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Know of an endangered Modernist house in your neighborhood, city, or state? Through our preservation alert program, Modernism In Danger, USModernist calls attention to the Modernist houses around the country that are at risk for deterioration, demolition, or inappropriate renovation (like turning your Modernist house into an Italianate villa). Click here to tell us about Modernist houses in trouble.
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Spanish firm Fran Silvestre Arquitectos designed two new Modernist homes in a neighborhood north of downtown Sarasota FL. | |
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Join our community and support the architecture you love! USModernist Mod Squad membership gets you all kinds of benefits and provides important financial support for the documentation, preservation, and promotion of residential Modernist architecture. Details.
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When architecture libraries want to recover valuable shelf space but find it painful to see architecture and design magazines thrown away, even if they’ve not been accessed for decades, the USModernist Library can help. So far, libraries and collectors and design firms have shipped us over 4.3 million pages for scanning.
Let us help you free up shelf space and give these magazines new, text-searchable, online life – and world access. Here are the magazines we need. We pay shipping - and you help the world get free, searchable, downloadable content for the first time. Contact us.
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January 6: Owen Smith House Tour, Raleigh NC. Details and tickets.
January 11: Thirst4Architecture, NC State Gregg Museum, Raleigh NC. Free, registration required.
January 13-June 16: Albert Frey: Inventive Modernist. Palm Springs Art Museum. Curated by Brad Dunning. Details.
January 27: DomeAlone! Our first dome house tour. Details and tickets.
February 8: Thirst4Architecture, AR Homes, Raleigh NC. Free, registration required.
April 25: Thirst4Architecture, REdesign.build Tower Street Project, Raleigh NC. Free, registration required.
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Saturday-Thursday, February 17-22
If you're into mid-century Modernist architecture, you don't want to miss Modapalooza, USModernist's glamourous new series of wildly exciting house tours, parties, and special events in Palm Springs in February. You'll get exclusive access to some of the best midcentury Modernist houses in Palm Springs. Take a leisurely daytime tour, or visit in the late afternoon for a wonderful sunset cocktail party, or stop by the Martini Whisperer Phillip Jones for advice on preparing your next cocktail. And there are more exciting tours and parties at the Palevsky House, designed by Craig Ellwood, and the Christopher Kennedy Forever Home. Proceeds benefit the documentation, preservation, and promotion work of USModernist, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational archive, the largest in the world for midcentury modern houses. Details and tickets.
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USModernist Global 7: London / Brussels / Antwerp / Amsterdam,
May 13-22. Are you ready for some heart-pounding Modernist architecture in England, Belgium, and the Netherlands? You just won't believe the incredible Modernist architecture in three countries! Just 10 places left! Details and tickets.
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Available January 23: Karl Lagerfield: A Life in Houses. The first publication dedicated to Karl Lagerfeld’s glamorous homes, known for their eclectic interiors, ranging from the art deco to the ultramodern. While Lagerfeld was famous for being at the very center of the fashion industry for over half a century, he was equally opinionated when it came to interiors, which acted as a private creative outlet.
Following an introduction by Patrick Mauries, each house is introduced by a short text by Marie Kalt unveiling the history of Lagerfeld’s homes while identifying key designers and pieces. From his elegant art deco–inspired apartment in Saint-Sulpice, Paris, to the incredibly ornate eighteenth-century mansion Hôtel Pozzo di Borgo, Lagerfeld’s houses reveal he was a collector on a Renaissance scale as they showcase his spectacular range. Pre-order.
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Latest USModernist Radio Podcast | |
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#332/Holiday Special: Supersizing Bliss with Author Toby Witte + Musical Guest Michael Sinatra + Musical Guests Peter Lamb and the Wolves
What better subject to talk about during the holidays than Modernist bliss? Joining us is Charlotte NC architect and author Toby Witte. And later, not one but two holiday musical guests: from his new Christmas album, Michael Sinatra, and bringing holiday cheer from Raleigh NC, Peter Lamb and the Wolves.
| US Modernist Radio is underwritten by Diane Bald and The Budman Family, restoring significant architecture in Toronto, Los Angeles, Malibu, and Palm Springs. New to podcasts? You can listen to USModernist Radio on any major podcast platform or through any computer. | |
Julianne Patterson, formerly with Preservation North Carolina, is the new Executive Director of Preservation Durham. | |
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Preservation easements are like a homeowner's association for just one house and are the only legally enforceable way in most jurisdictions to keep a Modernist house from being destroyed in the future.
National Register status? Famous architect? Local historic designation or tax credits? At best, these things may delay demolition six months to a year but they won't stop it. Here's the Zoom video presentation featuring Preservation North Carolina and NCModernist, along with Jane Levy, Greensboro Modernist homeowner.
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North Carolina Realtors and owners of NC Modernist houses can now list - for sale or for rent - on our free NCModernist database. Listings limited to detached single family Modernist houses, old or new, and the house must be in North Carolina. Details.
Got a great Modernist house that's not selling? How would you like 60 people or more (up to 200) to come by and see it one Saturday? We can do that for you, free. Contact.
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Vacancy, not development, is the enemy of mid-century Modernist houses. Preserve and protect the architecture you love by notifying us when North Carolina houses go vacant or on the market.
Check out the NCModernist For Sale/Rent database. Realtors and owners can list their NC Modernist houses for sale or rent there for free, and you can browse there anytime you like! Submissions are subject to approval: single family Modernist houses only, they can be old or new, the architect or designer can be from anywhere, but the house must be in North Carolina.
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Donate to USModernist's nonprofit mission of documenting, preserving, and promoting Modernist residential architecture. | | | | |
