Docomomo International | Conferences

Second International Docomomo Conference

Dessau, September 16–19, 1992

The Second International Docomomo Conference took place at the Bauhaus in Dessau from September 16–18, and was hosted by the German Docomomo chapter.

The main topics of the conference program were: (1) housing estates and complexes, and plans for their conservation and use; (2) model buildings and their contribution to experimental building with regard to function, construction and physics building, and experiences in their preservation; (3) documentation and publication of buildings from the modern period and identification of their sources and the significance thereof for architectural development; (4) exchange of experiences relating to criteria and work with national registers and the preservation of modern constructions that are under threat.

The development of housing estates was a major issue for the architects and urban planners of the modern movement. The gains of their social, architectural and technical experiments still influence the way social housing is conceptualized and practiced done today. However, many of these estates have been dramatically changed over time. The overarching theme of the conference was the question: how do we manage this important facet of twentieth century heritage, particularly in view of possible conflicts between social needs of today and historical, as well as architectural, values?

Read the table of contents of the proceedings of the Second International Docomomo Conference.