Hans-Rudolf Meier – författare

The Architectural Heritage of Postmodernism - Current State of Research on Architecture and Monument Preservation The architectural heritage of postmodernism bears witness to an era that was defined by the energy crises of the 1970s, the return to architecture as a means of communication and a conduit of meaning, neoliberalism in the construction sector, the end of grand narratives, and the spirit of optimism in the early 1990s. Focusing on the German-speaking world, this volume reveals how this heritage can be captured, preserved and further developed. It includes contributions from the conference of the same name, which took place in Weimar in March 2022 in collaboration with ETH Zurich. The authors shed light on the theoretical and practical challenges of dealing with an era that is subject to a wide range of qualitative perceptions and is – as its name suggests – still ongoing. Current state of research on postmodern architecture and its preservation New findings on the topic of building within existing structures Research reports in German with English summaries of each Also available as a set with the congress volume High-Tech Heritage (2nd edition) 978-3-0356-2960-6

High-tech Architecture - Preserving the Heritage of Innovative Construction The high-tech architecture of the 1970s–1990s is typically characterized by the use and exhibition of advanced technologies. In terms of appearance, these buildings often have innovative façades, supporting structures accentuated in color, and expressively displayed technology systems. Unfortunately, however, the rapid obsolescence of technology has often led to the complete replacement of the very systems that defined the architectural form. In 2023, an international conference at ETH Zurich in collaboration with Bauhaus-Universität Weimar explored the question of how best to deal with the structural legacy of technologically innovative architecture. This book summarizes the results and provides an overview of the current state of research. Current state of research on high-tech architecture and its conservation Overview of the opportunities and challenges of high-tech buildings New findings on the topic of building within existing structures Also available as a set with the congress volume Denkmal Postmoderne 978-3-0356-2783-1

Die moderne Denkmalpflege versteht sich seit den von Protagonisten wie Georg Dehio, Alois Riegl, Paul Clemen und anderen um 1900 geprägten Debatten als wertbasierte angewandte historische Wissenschaft. Die Suche nach objektivierbaren Kriterien fu.r die Wertung und Bewertung der u.berlieferten Bausubstanz und die Reflexion ihrer praktischen Wirksamkeit am Denkmal prägen seither die Denkmaltheorie. Die Beiträge des Bandes zeichnen die Wertelehre in historischer Perspektive nach und geben einen Überblick über aktuelle Fragen und Probleme. Daneben werden Aspekte städtebaulicher Denkmalpflege vorgestellt sowie neuere bildwissenschaftliche und erinnerungskulturelle Fragestellungen in ihren Bezu.gen zur Denkmalpflege diskutiert. Überblickstexte zur Begriffsgeschichte und Theorieentwicklung ausgewählter Denkmalwerte ergänzen die Publikation. Sie entstand im Rahmen des vom BMBF geförderten Forschungsverbunds „Denkmal – Werte – Dialog. Historisch-kritische Analyse und systematisch-praktische Konzeption denkmalpflegerischer Leitwerte“.

The church, castle and timber-framed house are still considered the paragons of architectural monuments. However, what about large housing estates, shopping centers, or campus universities? For over two decades, monument preservation throughout Europe has been focusing increasingly on buildings from the years between 1960 and 1980. Even so, they remain a difficult heritage: often too big, difficult to use, and in a poor condition. Consequently, the architecture of a whole generation is at risk of disappearing before society has become aware of its potential historical or artistic significance. What values and perceptions are associated with the architecture of the late modern era? On what grounds and with which inventory strategies do buildings from that era succeed in becoming listed? This volume addresses these questions for the first time with an interdisciplinary perspective and a European comparison. A collection of case studies supplements the insight into the monument and heritage debate about the late modern era.

Adopting and adapting historical forms is an integral part of architectural design today. Strictly rejected by some and embraced by others, this practice has provoked controversy since the beginning of modernism. With its assertion of continuity and claim to universality, historicizing architecture from the twentieth century is decidedly antimodernistic—a counterproject to modernistic architecture and yet also a part of modern times. The diversity of historicizing approaches and the history of historicizing construction have received little attention so far—a fact that is especially evident with a comparative view that looks beyond Germany to other countries and their building traditions. This volume aims to take historicizing architecture seriously as an architectural reality and one possible variation of contemporary building, with a focus on describing and categorizing its diverse concepts and manifestations. In considering historicizing architecture as a contemporary phenomenon, the book places its topic in the context of reconstructions and postmodern ideas while also comparing it with nineteenth-century historicism. This view includes also designs inspired by the classic modernism of the 1920s.

Spolia are structural elements that have been consciously—and therefore usually visibly—reused. The space they occupy within the broad field of reuse in architecture is associated with specific intentions regarding design and significance. As they are usually visibly distinct from the rest of the construction, spolia encourage viewers to augment their understanding with additional meanings. As contemporary architecture has returned to incorporating ornamentation and history, the use of spolia has also increased. To date, spolia have been considered with reference to late antique, medieval, and—much more rarely—modern architecture. In this work, the uses of spolia throughout different time periods are considered in relation to one another. In addition to aspects of cultural studies, this volume illuminates the role of spolia in the design process.