C O N T E X T 9 7 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 6 Periodically… In a few years time will we look back on the controversy surrounding the preservation of the Commonwealth Institute and see this as turning point for the heritage movement in the way we now view the 1960s destruction of the Euston Arch? This was certainly the view of Deyan Sudjic, writing in the Observer. He was one of many architectural critics in the national newspapers who sensed foul play in Tessa Jowell’s clandestine manoeuvrings. The views of leading commentators were gathered together in the excellent Autumn 2006 issue of the Twentieth Century Society Newsletter. Catherine Croft explains how the issue emerged, why it is so important for the broader protection of the listing regime, and the campaign to halt it. This seems to be a moment when the secretary of state finally revealed her true feelings about heritage, that weakest and sickly member of her departmental brood. This is a cause célèbre with some mileage in it yet. The next move of the DCMS will be watched with fatal fascination. The newsletter is a cornucopia of material, both domestic and foreign, which promotes the cause of the architectural worth of the last century really effectively. The regeneration of the listed Brunswick Centre in Bloomsbury, London (Patrick Hodgkinson, 1967–72) is explained. This complex includes listed council housing, so there are significant tensions over management policy. The article explains the residents’ response to the architecture, which will be of interest to anyone facing this issue elsewhere. The issue also features the 60th anniversary of Ove Arup and Partners and promotes theWorld Congress of Art Deco in 2007 (unfortunately it’s in Melbourne).While considering the international aspect of the newsletter, there are features on Eindhoven (home of electrical giant Philips) and why this striking city is worth visiting for its architecture; and references to Atomium at the 1958 Brussels Expo, which so impressed a young John Allan (architect and biographer of Berthold Lubetkin) and explains his subsequent fascination with modern architecture. There is a feature on the current demolition of the monumental and short-lived Palace of the Republic in former East Berlin, and what this says about the reunified Germany’s attitude towards the former GDR. The latest issue of the technical publication of the Association of Preservation Technology, APT Bulletin (Vol 37, Nos 2–3), has arrived from the United States. The eight well-illustrated articles all have significant interest. Many people will be familiar with Frank Lloyd-Wright’s dramatically located domestic masterpiece Falling Water, voted by the American Institute of Architects in 1991 the ‘best all-time work of architecture’ and donated by its former owner’s son to a trust. The article details the five-year long, $11.5 million restoration. This in turn had been preceded by a 13-year investigation of deterioration mechanisms resulting, perhaps unsurprisingly, from moisture penetration, some dating back to the time of the original completion in 1937. Those concerned about global warming point out that our latitude, if not our climate, is similar to Newfoundland. The heritage of this remote easterly extremity of Canada is a response to both its sub-arctic climate and its traditional family-based inshore fishing industry. An article by Robert Mellin, chair of the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, explains the cultural landscape and architecture, the distinctive wooden building traditions, the recent local heritage designations at provincial and national level and, as the recent full impact of the dramatic decline of fishing has become apparent, the importance of heritage tourism and the need for strategic conservation planning. It would be helpful if those working in conservation could benefit from standardisation in recording and presenting existing-condition information. One of the unintended but useful consequences of a broad acceptance of Tablet PC Annotation Systems (TPAS) is the possibility of a universally understood glossary of faults and conditions to make this process easier. How this can be done on a Pocket CAD/Compaq iPAQ is well illustrated by authors fromVertical Access, a company specialising in this type of survey. Two articles move into the realm of the conservator but will be helpful for those building conservation professionals who need to appreciate and understand the possibilities of repair techniques. The first article looks at a practical technique for injecting consolidants behind wall and ceiling paintings as an alternative to plaster consolidation, and the performance of injection adhesives for reattaching plaster ceilings (a method in use for the past 25 years using acrylic adhesives often with only a limited understanding of the physical properties of the formulations used). The reliance on non-traditional use of traditional materials and methods often proved invasive and added considerable weight to the ceiling. They were largely irreversible and encumbered future treatment. The second article describes in detail the protocols for testing adhesives and formulations involved. A simple three-part forensic investigation methodology for dealing with deformed timber-buildings using structural, soil and groundwater assessments on 18th century houses in North Carolina is also explained. The centre eight pages are given over
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