Kodachrome Commerce: American Commercial Architecture 1945-1980
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Symposium Date: October 25, 2019
Thank you for your interest in the University of Georgia’s e-symposium, Kodachrome Commerce: American Commercial Architecture, 1945-1980.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
We are pleased to showcase a wide variety of presentation topics including:
- Specific mid-century commercial typologies
- Establishing evaluation criteria
- Cultural landscapes associated with roadside architecture
- Mid-century design, construction methods, and materials
- Case studies involving mid-century commercial resources
For questions or additional information, please contact Jennifer Lewis at jmlewis@uga.edu or 706.542.1028
SYMPOSIUM OVERVIEW
The economic boom and suburbanization of the post-World War II period in the United States led to an unprecedented rise in building upstarts. Numbers of scholarly works have identified the defining characteristics and significance of residential structures; however, an evident dearth of guidance documents and context statements regarding commercial properties currently exists. As millions of these potentially historic resources reach and surpass the National Park Service’s 50-year threshold to be considered ‘historic,’ these resources require thorough examination as to their potential significance to the nation’s architectural, social, and cultural heritage.
The utilitarian aesthetic, universal construction methodology and ubiquity of commercial structures of this period present a unique challenge for the interpretation and preservation of this resource group. The term, “commercial architecture,” serves as the moniker for unknown numbers of building sub-types, each with its own defining characteristics, integrity challenges, and significance. Nationwide, commercial buildings have undergone material replacement and major alterations in order to maintain and attract in-person clientele. A national discourse is needed to identify major challenges in developing typologies, integrity issues, construction methodology, and materials for millions of extant structures. This symposium will address the need for a structured, replicable methodology for identifying and determining the potential eligibility of postwar commercial architecture.
LIVE STREAMING FORMAT
Our live streaming symposium includes all geographic regions and commercial architecture sub-types. Kodachrome Commerce offers a unique approach to a live streaming format; all presentations are prerecorded, and remote attendees will have the opportunity to ask presenters questions in real-time via online discussion. This format is designed to introduce attendees to multiple mid-century commercial topics and real-world challenges facing mid-century commercial resources.
POST-SYMPOSIUM DISCUSSION
VIDEO PRESENTATIONS
All presentations from the Symposium are available below and on the College of Environment and Design’s YouTube page:
https://tinyurl.com/CEDatUGAChannel
LINKS MENTIONED DURING SYMPOSIUM
NCHRP 25-62 [RFP]
Improving the Efficiency and Consistency of Section 106 Compliance for State DOTs:
Strategies for Project-Level Programmatic Agreements and Postwar Commercial Properties
NCHRP 25-58
Commercial Properties from 1945 to 1980: Guidance for State DOTs and Their Partners
for Historic Context Development, Identification, and Evaluation
Modernist Architecture in Charlotte
The Modern Classic City: Analyzing Commercial Development in Athens, Georgia from 1930 to 1981
Margaret Roderick, Russell Forester, F.A.I.A.: “Skin and Bones Architecture” in San Diego
Carol Dyson: Mid-Century Modernism, Design & Materials
For more information, please email Jennifer Lewis at jmlewis@uga.edu