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On The Preservation of Konstantin Melnikov's Works and Heritage
On The Preservation of Konstantin Melnikov's Works and Heritage
On The Preservation of Konstantin Melnikov's Works and Heritage
Weareapproachingthe40thanniversaryofthedeathofthearchitectKonstantinMelnikov, andtheimportanceandvalueofhisbuiltworksandtheprojectshedrewhasnotstopped growingoveralltheseyears.Melnikov'svisionaryprojectsweredecadesaheadoftheir time:now,whennewtechnologiesarebeginningtomakethemfeasible,theyexertan everincreasinginfluenceontodaysarchitecture.Itisnosurprisethatmanypeople,not justarchitects,traveltoMoscoweachyeartovisithisextraordinaryworkersclubsorhis remarkablehouseonKrivoarbatskiiLane,justofftheArbat. However,despitethelongperiodoftimethathaselapsedsinceMelnikovsdeath,and eventhedeathofthestatethatfirstsupportedandthenpersecutedhim,hislegacy remainslargelyinaccessible.Extremelyimportantdrawingsanddocumentsbothfrom Melnikovsprivatearchiveandfromtheholdingsofofficialinstitutionsareclosedto researchersandscholars.Manyofhisextantbuildingsareinverypoorconditionorhave beenseverelydeformedbyneedlessanddestructivemodernizations,whileothersface thethreatofdemolition.Hisremarkablecylindricalhome,situatedintheveryheartof Moscow,remainsinthehandsofthearchitectsgranddaughter,EkaterinaKarinskaia. However,shelacksfundstomaintainit,ortorespondtotheendlessenquiriesfromofficial bodies,professionalgroups,andinterestedparties.Promisestorestorethehouse,opena museuminadjacentbuildings,andassistthefamilyhavebeenmade,repeated,andthen forgotten. BecauseStalinsUnionofArchitectscutKonstantinMelnikov'scareershortinthe1930s, hisinfluenceinRussiahasbeenlimited,atleastuntilrecently.Butworldwide,manyofhis buildingsandprojectshavebecomeparadigmsofmodernarchitectureasawhole. ThesignatoriestothisletterseekthepreservationoftheMelnikovhouseasapublic museumandthefaircompensationoftheMelnikovfamilyfortheireffortstopreserveit overthefortyyearssincethearchitectsdeath.Theyseek,further,forallarchival materialsinRussiathatrelatetoMelnikovtobepreservedinoneplace,preferablyata museumadjacenttothehouse,wheretheywillbeopentoarchitects,scholars,andthe educatedpublic. Weappreciatethecomplexitiesofownershipandcontrolwhichboththehouseand archivaldocumentspresent,buttrustthatawaywillbefoundtoresolvetheseissues.Only recentlyPresidentPutinhasspokenoftheneedformodernRussiatoembrace,protect, andbuilduponitsheritage.WebelievethattheworkofKonstantinMelnikovoffersa uniquepossibilityfortodaysRussiatodopreciselythis.Indoingso,Russianswillalsobe embracing,andprotectingpartoftheworldsheritage,andenablingpeopleeverywhereto jointheminappreciatingandbuildinguponit.
Signatories
Ivetaern|DirectorVillaTugendhat,BrnoCzechRepublic JeanLouisCohen|ProfessorNewYorkUniversity,NewYorkUSA FrancescoDalCo|EditorCasabella,MilanoItaly NataschaDrabbe|FoundingChairIconicHousesNetwork,AmsterdamTheNetherlands PeterEisenman|Architect|ProfessorYaleUniversity,NewHavenUSA KennethFrampton|ProfessorColumbiaUniversity,NewYorkUSA GinsGarrido|Architect|ProfessorETSArquitectura,UPMadridSpain StevenHoll|Architect|ProfessorColumbiaUniversity,NewYorkUSA ArataIsozaki|ArchitectTokyoJapan RemKoolhaas|Architect|ProfessorGSDHarvardUniversity,CambridgeUSA JosepLlins|Architect|ProfessorETSArquitecturaUPBarcelonaSpain OtakarMael|ProfessorTUDelftTheNetherlands FumihikoMaki|ArchitectTokyoJapan MaurizioMeriggi|ProfessorPolitecnicodiMilanoItaly KimberliMeyer|DirectorMAKCenter,LosAngelesattheSchindlerHouse,WestHollywoodCaliforniaUSA RafaelMoneo|Architect|ProfessorGSDHarvardUniversity,CambridgeUSA JuhaniPallasmaa|Architect|UniversityofTechnology,HelsinkiFinland KenTadashiOshima|ProfessorUniversityofWashingtonUSA FernandoPrezdeOyarzn|ProfessorPontificiaUniversidadCatlicadeChile,SantiagoChile AlbertoPrezGmez|ProfessorMcGillUniversity,MontrealCanada SusannaPettersson|DirectorAlvarAaltoFoundation,Helsinki|AlvarAaltoMuseum,JyvskylFinland RaxRinnekangas|FilmDirector,HelsinkiFinland MaxRisselada|ProfessorTUDelftTheNetherlands BrigitteShim|Architect|ProfessorUniversityofTorontoCanada AlvaroSiza|Architect,PortoPortugal FrederickS.Starr|SchoolofAdvancedInternationalStudies,JohnsHopkinsUniversity,WashingtonDCUSA HowardSutcliffe|Architect,TorontoCanada AngeloTorriceli|Dean,ScuoladiArchitetturaCivile,PolitecnicodiMilanoItaly BernardTschumi|Architect|ProfessorColumbiaUniversity,NewYorkUSA WimVandenBergh|ArchitectMaastricht|ProfessorRWTH,AachenGermany LyndaWaggoner|DirectorFallingwater,MillRunPennsylvaniaUSA Ross.Wolfe.|.Blogger.|.The.Charnel-House,.New.York.City.USA ArthurWortmann|EditorinChiefMarkMagazine,AmsterdamTheNetherlands HajimeYatsuka|ProfessorHibauraInstituteofTechnology,TokyoJapan