Our Position on Modernism and the Recent Past
The National Trust for Historic Preservation recognizes the importance and significance of cultural resources of the post-war and modern era, and aims to enhance the public's appreciation for and understanding of mid-20th Century architecture. The National Trust hopes to unite emerging popular interest in preserving the recent past with proper preservation practices through the promotion of continued use and sensitive rehabilitation of these structures.
Submitted by James Boley at: April 28, 2009
Dear National Trust for Historic Places - Thanks for including F L Wright's Unity Temple on your recent Endangered Historic Places list, and for helping to save Wright's Fredrick C. Robie House here in Chicago. I'd like to nominate another iconic modern building from Chicago for your list - The Prentice Women's Pavilion by Bertrand Goldberg, at Northwestern University Memorial Hospital. It is in danger of demolition; NUMH plans to redevelop the site. Prentice is a maternity hospital, and was Goldberg's first medical building. Prentice provides a great example of successfully integrating humanism in modern architecture. Goldberg designed curved "feminine" delivery rooms with oval windows for the expectant mothers and arranged them radially so all were visible from a single nurses station located in the center of each floor. The curved concrete walls were also the structure shell of the building, a continuation of his personal and innovative approach to concrete construction. I can't imagine a more successful example of form and function being one and the same - Wright's variation on Sullivan's famous aphorism. What could be more "Chicago." Prentice must be saved, and can easily be re-purposed. I hope you can help. Please feel free to contact me. Best- James Boley James Boley AIA, LEED AP Architect | Consultant | Sustainable Planning 773-354-1377 mobile jamesboley@earthlink.net