April CPA program to highlight Modern architecture, Pulitzer winner

Tickets are now available for a two-day symposium on the challenges and opportunities of preserving Modern architecture, to be hosted by Cincinnati Preservation Association (CPA) Apr. 24-25.

Featuring papers, case studies, tours, and discussion sessions, "Preserving Modern Architecture" will be held in celebration of the completion of restoration work at the Frederick and Harriet Rauh House, a 1938 International style house in Woodlawn that CPA acquired from donor Emily Rauh Pulitzer in September 2011.

Each year, more Modernist structures are meeting the age criterion for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, and appreciation for these mid-20th century buildings is growing.

"Landmarks of our recent past have not always received the recognition they deserve," CPA Executive Director Paul Muller said in a prepared release. "We hope to get people excited about these great buildings and show how they connect to important cultural themes that continue to shape our lives."

The first day of the symposium will focus on identifying the Modernist legacy, the forces the shaped it, the design objectives of its pioneers, and the style's defining characteristics. Day two will focus on conserving the legacy by reviewing current preservation examples from throughout the Midwest, the challenges that preservationists face, and emerging opportunities for preservation and restoration.

An evening reception will be held Wednesday, Apr. 24 at the American Sign Museum. The symposium will conclude at Cincinnati Union Terminal on Thursday evening at 7:30 P.M. with a lecture by Paul Goldberger, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, architectural critic, and contributing editor at Vanity Fair.

Tickets for the symposium are $125, and tickets for the Goldberger lecture are $35. Tickets may be purchased through the CPA website or by calling (513) 721-4506.

The symposium is sponsored by Architects Plus, the restoration architects for the Rauh House project.

A Spring House Tour of the Rauh House and an additional residence at 348 Grove Road, also in Woodlawn, is scheduled from 1:00-5:00 P.M. on Saturday, Apr. 27.

Photos courtesy of Cincinnati Preservation Association

Previous reading on BC:
First CPA talk to examine City's pre-Civil War heritage (1/25/13)
$300K Haile grant to restore gardens at historic Crosley estate (1/2/13)
CPA annual meeting, awards to highlight Zoo's stewardship initiatives (11/15/12)
Photos: Riverside's Wright houses (11/2/12)
September CPA tour to highlight West McMicken progress (8/21/12)