Architectural Fragments, Columbia University
On June 27th, a convening of experts on architectural fragments and materials collections was hosted by Jorge Otero-Pailos, Director and Professor of Historic Preservation at Columbia University. The aim of the event was to exchange knowledge and explore potential future collaborations on the role of architectural materials and fragments collections in the future of preservation pedagogy.
Alena Rieger and Simon Mitchell, PhD student and postdoc fellow in Provenance Projected, were invited to present their research and contribute to discussions aimed at shaping the future direction of Columbia’s preservation program, following the recent renovation of the Preservation Technology Lab and the launch of an open-access online catalogue of the Lab’s teaching collection. This initiative is part of a broader collaboration with Harvard and RISD.
Columbia's Historic Preservation program is in the process of aligning their collecting strategy with the experimental preservation ethos of their pedagogy. In this context, the convening was further held to discuss common goals and aspirations for the role of materials libraries and architectural fragments collections in the future of preservation pedagogy. It was also an opportunity for each speaker to understand their respective roles within the ecosystem of architectural fragment collections as they intersect with preservation education, imagine possible collaborations, and think creatively about the future.
Other invited speakers :
Matthew Webster, Executive Director of Architectural Preservation and Research, Colonial Williamsburg
Stavroula Golfomitsou, Head of Collections, Getty Conservation Institute
Michael Allen, Executive Director, National Building Arts Center
Johanna Kasubowski, Materials and Media Collections Librarian, Material Order, Harvard Graduate School Of Design
Teresa Harris, Director, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University
Abraham Thomas, Daniel Brodsky Curator of Modern Architecture, Design, and Decorative Arts, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Kirk A. Cordell, Executive Director, National Center for Preservation Technology & Training, US National Park Service