Foreword
Maire Mattinen, ICOMOS Finland / National Board of Antiquities
ICOMOS Finland organized an international conference between February 15th-17th 2001 titled "Dangerous Liaisons -
Preserving Post-War Modernism in City Centres". The conference was sponsored by the Finnish Ministry of
Environment and the Alvar Aalto Academy, DoCoMoMo and the ICOMOS Training Committee (CIF) supported in the
organization.
Various interesting solutions and new points of view on the conference theme were presented to
approximately 130 participants. The early 20th century period is clearly becoming more established in conservation.
The most difficult problem, however, seems to be the approach to the protection and conservation of the post-war built
environment. Instead of being seen as part of the cultural heritage and thus objects for conservation, the buildings of the
1960s are seen rather as spoiling the environment. But should we now be attempting to protect those very buildings that
have been seen in recent decades as damaging the environment? The intention of the conference, as its title suggests,
was to provoke debate about such awkward issues, yet there were indeed more unanswered questions than ready
answers. Beyond the technical questions of restoration, the conference concentrated on the discussion of urban
conservation. Twenty lectures, a panel discussion, and case-studies and excursions in the Helsinki region, all threw light
on the field of the conservation of 20th century architecture and urban building in a multi-disciplinary way.
The evaluation of modern architecture and the problems of its conservation and restoration is
everywhere and ever more current. It would be quite a relief if we could postpone the evaluation of these works for a
couple of decades, when we could then look at them from greater distance and without so much emotion. Unfortunately,
decisions are needed now. Several buildings are literally under threat of demolition or are awaiting extensive
renovation, which if carried out incorrectly could spoil the buildings.
It has gradually dawned on people that modern architecture is under-represented on the World Heritage
List. DoCoMoMo and ICOMOS are indeed initiating a more thorough investigation of the situation in cooperation with
the UNESCO's World Heritage Centre. ICOMOS has already arranged several successful conferences on the subject,
including, for instance, an experts’ conference held in Finland in 1995 (the final report of which can be ordered from
ICOMOS’s offices in Paris) and the ICOMOS branches in USA, UK and Germany have been active in this field. At the
end of 2001 ICOMOS Australia is arranging an extensive conference about the protection of 20th century architecture.
ICOMOS Mexico proposed in the 1999 General Assembly that ICOMOS should found its own international committee
to deal with the conservation of 20th century architecture; the ICOMOS Executive Committee has discussed the
proposal and is taking the project further.
The DoCoMoMo general assemblies and the thematic conferences and publications have, of course,
also been ground-breaking in this field, as has the corresponding training programme initiated by ICCROM. In Finland
the first international ICCROM course, called "MARC", concentrating on the conservation of modern architecture was
held in 1999, and the intention is to hold a second course in 2002 in Finland and USA.
ICOMOS Finland wishes to make its own contribution in the ongoing debate. In this members’
newsletter and ICOMOS home pages we present summaries of the lectures as well as the panel discussion from the
Dangerous Liaisons conference. The conference proceedings will be published in November 2001 and can be ordered
directly from ICOMOS Finland (PL 169, FIN - 00511 Helsinki). We hope that this publication will stimulate discussion
and increase interest in the protection of modern architecture.
Translation: Gareth Griffiths and Kristina Kölhi
