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June 20, 2016

Post-Earthquake in Kumamoto, Japan: Preventing Needless Further Destruction and Losses

On April 16, 2016, a series of earthquakes struck Kumamoto and its neighboring communities. Almost all buildings either partially collapsed or were totally destroyed. There were many houses that were crushed and only the upper floors were left on the ground. This reminded me of the scene I saw in the Tohoku region after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

June 20, 2016

A Local Landmark: TWA Flight Center

Eero Saarinen’s Flight Center opened as the main terminal for Trans World American Airlines in 1962

The TWA Flight Center reflects the innovative and pioneering design and architecture that emerged in the mid-twentieth century, influenced in part by the developments and technologies that came out of the race for space.

June 04, 2016

Watch Day at Saspol, Ladakh

For years, I have heard about the importance of the Gon Nilaphuk caves at Saspol Village. My recent visit to the caves for the site’s Watch Day was therefore extremely exciting. Located near the world famous Alchi Monastery, the fifteenth-century caves overlook the Indus Valley. Most of the caves are now inaccessible, as climate change—specifically destabilization from increased rainfall in the area—has impacted the Ladakh region substantively.

June 03, 2016

Paul Rudolph Buildings Threatened Yet Again

Paul Rudolph's Blue Cross Blue Shield building, Boston.

World Monuments Fund has rallied to protect several works by Paul Rudolph over the years, so we were especially distressed to hear from Docomomo US that two more Rudolph works have come under threat.

June 03, 2016

Responding to Heritage Destruction in Conflict

Over a hundred leaders in heritage protection and a dozen international government delegations met to decide if and how artifacts and historic sites in countries like Syria and Iraq can be protected.

May 31, 2016

Aldus Manutius Demystified

Aldus Manutius, who operated the successful Aldine Press in Renaissance Venice, is hardly a household name, but he has his enthusiasts.

May 25, 2016

Steeples not Smokestacks

Inaugural visit of the Carnival Sunshine, Charleston, 2016

The oldest city in South Carolina, Charleston is widely known for its well-preserved historic urban fabric. Current concerns in Charleston echo the challenges faced in other historic port cities with cruise ship tourism, such as Venice.

May 24, 2016

Seismic Strengthening Saves Sundari Cok

Sundari Cok, Patan Royal Palace Complex, Nepal (2004)

World Monuments Fund helped Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust to produce a multiphase preservation plan for the Patan Royal Palace Complex a few years back. What we achieved together—the buildings and monuments restored in the complex—withstood the test of the devastating earthquake on April 25, 2015, better than expected, given its great intensity and how close it was to the surface. We asked Liz Newman, Architect for KVPT, to tell us about the work that was done that helped to save these treasured buildings.

May 16, 2016

Happy Birthday Shukhov Tower!

Participants on a tour of Shukhov Tower on Watch Day, 2016

Shukhov Tower Watch Day was held on March 19 and 20 in Moscow to celebrate the tower’s 94th birthday and to call attention to the 2016 advocacy efforts for the tower.

May 11, 2016

Ironing the Wrinkles in the History of Angkor’s Metal Industries

WMF’s drawing by our Project Coordinator (then Project Architect) Cheam Phally showing the location where iron clamps where originally inserted in the stone masonry.

Since the early 1990s WMF has worked to conserve the monastic complex of Preah Khan, making it possible for millions of visitors to enjoy the site. Over the years, we have been able to recover a number of iron clamps that were used in the construction of the monument. We were pleased to lend them for testing to researchers from the French National Research Agency and the University of Chicago, who are now finishing a new study of Angkor’s metal industries.

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