Thoroughly Modern Heritage: Preserving The Mid-Century Architectural Heritage Of New Zealand; How An Understanding Of Modernist Materiality, Form And Planning Engages With Established Conservation Philosophy And Practice

Abstract

A central tenet of taught conservation practice locates understanding the building within the psyche of heritage fabric assessment and preservation. Since the late 1980s, approaches to the repair of mid-twentieth-century buildings have challenged long-established heritage principles through research and practice, towards a better understanding of the characteristics, behaviour and requirements for the care of Modernist buildings and structures. New Zealand is geographically isolated with a comparatively young heritage profession, and the preservation of its Modernist architectural heritage has to contend with vagaries of recognition, dominant private property rights, weaknesses in statutory protection, and limitations in conservation practice. The rationale of this thesis argues for a model of conservation analysis based around a construction-focused architectural history. It interrogates the extent to which traditional and new building materials and methods were manipulated for Modern architectural forms in New Zealand from the mid-1930s to the end of the 1960s. It examines the architectural materiality, form and planning represented by a duality of internationally derived Modernist exemplars and a more varied regional adaptation of Modernist influences that were captured in buildings designed by New Zealand architects and European émigrés. It shows how the abstraction of Modernist principles expressed in built form can be of practical application for conservation professionals who are involved with preserving the country’s Modern heritage. This thesis asks, how can an understanding of materiality, form, and planning engage with established international conservation philosophy and practice? A series of six sub-questions then interrogates two main themes. First, how did the language of mid-twentieth century New Zealand architecture respond to overseas influences that flowed from the founding ideals and principles of the Modern Movement? And second, how does an engagement with the physical expression of Modernist ideals in buildings inform the conceptualisation of conservation proposals? This thesis argues that a fundamental understanding of the physical language of Modernist principles represented in the final architectural expression of buildings at the time, should be of equal importance to the survey and assessment of condition and material behaviour over time. It shows how this engagement can inform the implementation of conservation-based maintenance regimes, cyclical repairs, and more significant alterations to Modern buildings, based on the principle of evaluation prior to intervention.