Beth Jacob, RMHP Fellow 2017, newly arrived in Paris, is accompanied by Florence Declaveillère, RMHP Scholar 2016, on a visit to examine fire safety systems in place at the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, led by Colonel Régis Prunet.

During the 2016 ICOMOS General Assembly held in Istanbul, French expertise – “reliable and undisputed” in the field of research – was highlighted in a presentation from our 1993 RMHP Fellow, Jean-Christophe Simon, on the pertinence of “a common vision of built heritage, its preservation and its reception as a tool for development” (Jean-François Lagneau, President of ICOMOS France).

An issue for international discussion: “What Authenticity of Reconstruction?” by Jean-Christophe Simon. Questions and solutions proposed, the answers ICOMOS can offer.

To read Mr. Simon’s presentation notes, follow this link.

Jean-Chirstophe Simon is Architecte et urbaniste général de l’État, Inspecteur général des Patrimoines, and ICOMOS France Administrator.

Until May 30th, the École de Chaillot in Paris is receiving applications for its 2017-2019 cycle leading to the Diplôme de spécialisation et d’approfondissment – mention Architecture et patrimoine, which qualifies architects for preservation work in France. To learn more about this prestigious program, or to apply, follow this link.

Le musée Soulages
© Photothèque Rodez Agglomération

For the first time in its history, this year’s Pritzker Prize was awarded to a trio of architects, the Spaniards Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, and Ramon Vilalta, partners in RCR Arquitectes which they founded in 1987 in the Catalonian village of Olot.

One of their most remarkable creations in recent years, the Musée Soulages was inaugurated in 2016 at Rodez in the foothills of the Massif Central. Composed of five parallelepipeds in oxidized Corten steel, its rust color recalls the volcanic stone of their native Catalonia, as well as the pink stone of the local cathedral. The group is known for using modern, recycled materials such as steel and plastics, and for the purity of forms intimately connected with their natural surroundings.

Click here to visit the Pritzker Prize website.   Continue reading →

Araldo Cossutta, FAIA, leaves us

Photo courtesy Diego Rodriguez

A native of the Isle of Kirk (Croatia) where he was born on January 11, 1925, Araldo Cossutta passed away on February 24, 2017, in New York.

Following initial studies in architecture in Belgrade, “Aldo” made his way to Paris and enrolled at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, graduating in 1951. In the United States, while studying at Harvard, he got to know Le Corbusier, in whose atelier he worked. Associated with the Brutalist movement, Aldo brought his own touch to this architectural language. An associate of I.M. Pei, he opened his own firm, Cossutta & Associates, in 1973. Aldo was a member of the Richard Morris Hunt Prize Jury from the very beginning.
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