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Docomomo International (sometimes written as DoCoMoMo or simply Docomomo) is a non-profit organization whose full title is: International Committee for Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighbourhoods of the Modern Movement.

Quick Facts Founded, Location ...
Docomomo International
Founded1988 by Dutch architects Hubert-Jan Henket and Wessel de Jonge in Eindhoven
Location
ServicesProtection and conservation of Modern Architecture
Chair
Ana Tostões
Websitewww.docomomo.com
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Mrinalini Rajagopalan, author of "Preservation and Modernity: Competing Perspectives, Contested Histories and the Question of Authenticity," described it as "the key body for the preservation of modernist architecture".[1]

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History

Its foundation was inspired by the work of ICOMOS, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, established in 1965. The work of Icomos was concerned with the protection and conservation of historical buildings and sites, whereas Docomomo was founded to take up the challenge of the protection and conservation of Modern Architecture and Urbanism.

Docomomo International was founded in Eindhoven in 1988 by Dutch architects Hubert-Jan Henket and Wessel de Jonge. Henket chaired Docomomo International with de Jonge as secretary until September 2000 when the International Secretariat relocated to Paris, where it was hosted by the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine, in the Palais de Chaillot. The chair was Maristella Casciato, architect and architectural historian; with Émilie d'Orgeix, architectural historian, as secretary and Anne-Laure Guillet as director.

In 2008 there were 2,000 individual members. That year, 49 countries had national chapters and working parties of Docomomo. In 2010, the International Secretariat was relocated to Barcelona, hosted by the Fundació Mies van der Rohe. Ana Tostoes, architect and architect historian, chaired Docomomo International with Ivan Blasi, architect, as secretary. In 2014 the secretariat was transferred to the Instituto Superior Técnico at Lisbon, Portugal. Professor Tostoes remained as chair, with Zara Ferreira as secretary.

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Conferences and seminars

Docomomo holds biennial international conferences where the people related to conservation issues gather and exchange information and studies pertaining to their scholarly research. The list of conferences held until now is as follows:

More information Session, Year ...
Session Year Date Host city
1 1990 September 12–14 Netherlands Eindhoven
2 1992 September 16–19 Germany Bauhaus Dessau
3 1994 September 16–19 Spain Barcelona
4 1996 September 18–20 Slovakia Bratislava and Sliac
5 1998 September 16–18 Sweden Stockholm
6 2000 September 20–22 Brazil Brasília
7 2002 September 16–21 France Paris
8 2004 September 26 – October 2 United States New York City
9 2006 September 26–29 Turkey Istanbul and Ankara
10 2008 September 13–20 Netherlands Rotterdam
11 2010 August 24–27 Mexico Mexico City
12 2012 August 7–10 Finland Espoo
13 2014 September 24–27 South Korea Seoul
14 2016 September 6–9 Portugal Lisbon
15 2018 August 28–31 Slovenia Ljubljana
16 2020 September 10–14 [2] Japan Tokyo
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The International Scientific Committee on Technology (ISC/T) organizes seminars covering the following themes: restoration of reinforced concrete structures, curtain-wall facades, windows and glass, wood and the modern movement, colours in modern architecture and stone in modern buildings.

Seminars and conferences are often held in key modernist buildings, as for instance at Alvar Aalto’s Vyborg Library (2003 ISC/T seminar), Brinkman and Leendert van der Vlugt's Van Nelle factory in Rotterdam (2008 Conference), and Gordon Bunshaft's Lever House in New York (closing party at 2004 Conference).

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Publications

The docomomo Journal is an international periodical that, since 1990, regularly summarizes recent research on the sites and buildings of Modern Movement. It is a bi-annual publication [3] featuring articles by noted architecture practitioners and scholars, addressing all facets of Modern Movement architecture, from history and design concepts to conservation, technology or education.

More information ISSUE, TITLE ...
ISSUETITLEYEAR
1Newsletter 1August 1989
2Newsletter 2January 1990
3Newsletter 3June 1990
4Newsletter 4March 1991
5Newsletter 5June 1991
6Newsletter 6November 1991
7Newsletter 7June 1992
8Newsletter 8January 1993
9TechnologyJuly 1993
10November 1993
11North AmericaJune 1994
12MetalNovember 1994
13Latin AmericaJune 1995
14The Image of ModernityNovember 1995
15Curtain Wall RefurbishmentJuly 1996
16Urbanism, Gardens & LandscapeMarch 1997
17Exposed ConcreteSeptember 1997
18February 1998
19Nordic CountriesJuly 1998
20Windows to the Future

Anniversary Issue – 10 Years Docomomo

January 1999
21June 1999
22Modern HousesMay 2000
23The Modern City Facing the FutureAugust 2000
24February 2001
25July 2001
26Engineering the FutureDecember 2001
27The History of DocomomoJune 2002
28Modern Heritage in AfricaMarch 2003
29Modernism in Asia PacificSeptember 2003
302003 A Year of Docomomo ActivitiesMarch 2004
31Modernism in the US after World War IISeptember 2004
32New FramesMarch 2005
33The Modern Movement in the Caribbean IslandsSeptember 2005
34France-Brazil Round TripMarch 2006
35Modern Architecture in the Middle EastSeptember 2006
36Other Modernisms: A Selection from the Docomomo RegistersMarch 2007
37Places of ModernismSeptember 2007
38Canada ModernMarch 2008
39Postwar Mass HousingSeptember 2008
40Tel Aviv 100 YearsMarch 2009
41Nine Favorite ArchitectsSeptember 2009
42Art and ArchitectureSummer 2010
43Brasilia 1960–20102010/2
44Modern and Sustainable2011/1
45Bridges and Infrastructure2011/2
46Designing Modern Life2012/1
47Global Design2012/2
48Modern Africa, Tropical Architecture2013/1
49For an Architect's Training2013/2
50High Density2014/1
51Modern Housing. Patrimonio Vivo2014/2
52Reuse, Renovation and Restoration2015/1
53LC 50 Years After2015/2
54Housing Reloaded2016/1
55 Modern Lisbon 2016/2
56The Heritage of Mies2017/1
56The Heritage of Mies – SECOND EDITION2019/1
57Modern Southeast Asia2017/2
58Louis I. Kahn. The Permanence2018/1
59An Eastern Europe Vision2018/2
60Architectures of the Sun2019/1
61Education and Reuse2019/2
62Cure and Care2020/1
63Tropical Architecture in the Modern Diaspora2020/2
64Modern Houses2021/1
65Housing for All2021/2
66Modern Plastic Heritage2022/1
67Multiple Modernities in Ukraine2022/2
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Work at national level

Many countries have national Docomomo working parties, as either part of academic establishments or architecture federations. They may define gazetteers of important structures to be protected, such as DoCoMoMo Key Scottish Monuments and DoCoMoMo Architectural Masterpieces of Finnish Modernism,[4] or support local campaigners.[5]

Preservation work by Docomomo together with others was recognised by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection after a 2009 charrette to protect the former Bell Labs Holmdel Complex.[6]

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References

Further reading

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