The Universitat Politècnica de València, through the School of Architecture is presenting the 17th Docomomo International Conference, to be hosted in València, Spain, September 6-9, 2022.

Directed by Carmen Jordá and Maite Palomares, the conference is included in the official programme of València World Design Capital 2022 and is the most important event as far as architectural design is concerned.

The Conference theme, “Modern Design: Social Commitment & Quality of Life” aims to present the Modern Movement’s legacy in a wider context, not simply individual architects or buildings, but the values of the Modern Movement and their impact on society in general. The conference is organized through five sections, analysing the specific contributions of Avant-Gardes, Latin America, Women, Iberia, and the Internationalization of Modern Movement Designs.

During the conference, invited speakers, recognized specialists in modern design will be making their own personal contributions to the general theme. Those individual viewpoints will provide us with a global perspective of how modern design and its complementary aspects developed.

Registration

Open through July 15, 2022 for in-person attendees or until September 2 for online attendance

Docomomo members* 450€
Non members 500€
Authors** (presenting authors) 400€
Students 100€

*Must be a member at the International level or above
**If your paper is accepted and you would like to publish in the conference proceedings, prospective authors and all co-authors need to register and pay registration fee regardless of conference participation

Questions to be directed at the registration office:
congresos@cfp.upv.es; secretariat@docomomoconference2022.com 

Host City

València is at the centre of a dense metropolitan area surrounded on three sides by a lush and highly productive patchwork of market gardening and, on the other, by the sea. The city presents a complex and fascinating urban fabric, the result of successive 20th century urban expansions. Throughout this city, Modern Movement has left a rich architectural heritage in both residential and non-residential works, beside heritage from Roman and Medieval times.

The nineteenth-century opening-up of the city, easily recognizable through the geometric layout of wide, tree-lined streets, provided ample space for the introduction of Modernist architecture. Some of the buildings and infrastructures built at that time are magnificent examples of the new architectural styles that emerged with industrialization, such as the Norte station and the markets. Read more about València, as well as different cultural and sightseeing routes.

Main Themes

#01 The Avant-Gardes. First generation architects

This section will analyse the contribution of avantgardes and the designs of recognised architects such as Le Corbusier or Mies van der Rohe, paying special attention to those that transformed households through the mechanization of domestic tasks and the extensive use of ingenious systems of storage and transformable furniture. The search for a healthier and easier life is exemplified in Margarete Lihotzky’s innovative Frankfurt kitchen (1925). Likewise, it can be claimed that the environmental component was introduced early on by Alvar Aalto with his concern for the landscape, and even Walter Gropius’ social hygiene concerns that invite a re-reading in a similar manner.

#02 Post-war. International expansion

Numerous examples illustrate the worldwide expansion of modern design, now representing timeless models. The aim of this section is to provide a comprehensive reading, although, at the same time, taking geographical particularities into account and contemplating the diversity of cases by analysing relationships and influences.

#03 The Latin American contribution

This section envisages a panorama that will include various generations of architects and from a wide geographical perspective, each location with its own particularities and highlighting their contributions to design and their possible influence.

#04 Women. Pioneers and Modern

This section studies the subtleties and, at the same time, the functional designs of female architects, so as to recover their place in history, as essential figures in design and whose works continue to be marketed to this day.

#05 Iberia. Cultural identity

This section deals with the evolution of modern design in Portugal and Spain and analyses both particularities and international influences, bearing in mind that both countries suffered long periods of dictatorships.

#06 New Materials and Innovative Technologies

#07 Urban Design and Quality of Life

#08 Landscapes and Public Space