British Council in Latvia is supporting an international conference „Extreme Makeovers. Preservation and Conversion of Post-war Architecture”, which will take place on 23rd November, 2010 at Contemporary art centre kim? in Riga.
In order to mark its 90th Anniversary this year, Dailes Theatre in cooperation with Architecture Promotion Foundation (AVF) organizes a broad exhibition about the life and work of Ms. Marta Staņa (1913-1972), a distinguished Modernist architect and the author of the present Dailes Theatre building (1958-1976), the most significant cultural building of the period in the Baltic region. The exhibition will take place in contemporary art museum kim?, Riga (Maskavas iela 12/1) from November 5 till December 19, 2010.
It is accompanied by a number of co-events leading up to an international architecture conference "Extreme Makeovers. Preservation and Conversion of Post-war Architecture" on November 23. This one-off event features high profile practitioners from Latvia, United States, Great Britain and Denmark, and applies to a professional audience throughout Baltic States, since the legacy and present status of the post-war architecture is now an issue of emerging importance in the region.
Yet recognized merely by professionals the vast legacy of late Modernist architecture is an inevitable and influential component of both the architectural theory and appearance of contemporary urban space to be dealt with. There were however different approaches of applying Modernist ideas on both sides of iron curtain.
Post-soviet space is not yet emancipated from former ideological connotations of Modernist architecture generally primed for industrialization and mass masterminding that usually resulted in vast, socially distressful developments of a poor construction quality. Nevertheless there were devoted Modernist masters whose vivid, elaborate and sustainable spatial concepts are worthy of reestablishment and reinvention.
The conference will introduce the expertise in rediscovering and preserving supreme examples of post-war architecture as well as successful conversions of soviet industrial heritage featured by architects Ms. Zaiga Gaile and Mr.Andris Kronbergs (Latvia), Ms.Dorte Mandrup-Poulsen (Denmark), Mr.Mark F.Sexton (United States) and moderated by Mr.Tim Abrahams (United Kingdom).
Organizers: Dailes Theatre, Architecture Promotion Foundation
Partners: Latvian Architecture Museum, Latvian National Library, H2E, Lukabuka
Supporters: State Culture Capital Foundation, The British Council, Danish Culture Institute, Denmark Embassy, RDS Architects, Latvijas Dzelzceļš, Neiburgs
