Planning, Conservation, and Support: The GCI’s work at the Eames House

When
08 Apr 2025
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Location
Architecture Sarasota, 265 S Orange Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236

Planning, Conservation, and Support:

The GCI’s work at the Eames House

Chandler McCoy, AIA, LEED AP, J. Paul Getty Trust, will present on this iconic work of modern architecture from 1949.

Tuesday, April 8

6 - 7 p.m.

Architecture Sarasota

265 S Orange Ave

Sarasota, FL 34236

Since 2012, the Getty Conservation Institute has been providing conservation assistance to the Eames Foundation in Los Angeles to help support their stewardship of the house of Charles and Ray Eames. This iconic work of modern architecture, from 1949, was designed by two of the most influential American designers of the 20 th century and is now open to the public, serving as a testament to their lives and their work. From its inception, it was an innovative statement about what modernist residential architecture could be, using new and experimental materials, colors and textures, carefully sited to respond to the surrounding landscape. At 75 years of age, it suffers from wear and tear, deterioration of materials, and threats from external environmental factors. Working with the Eames Foundation coincided with the GCIs launch of its Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative (CMAI), a comprehensive program to support the practice of conserving modern heritage. The CMAI team has done archival research, scientific investigations and environmental studies to understand issues and future problems that may occur at the Eames House and solutions can be found. In 2018 the GCI completed a Conservation Management Plan for the Eames House, a far-reaching tool that gives the Eames Foundation a roadmap to guide their future work, a journey they have recently started. This lecture will talk about what lessons have been learned in the process of working on the Eames House that can be useful to others managing and protecting works of modern architecture, and how the conservation management plan has paid off for the Eames Foundation.

GET INFO & TICKETS

AIA Florida Gulf Coast Chapter | P.O. Box 160 | Sarasota | FL | 34230 | info@aiagulfcoast.org | (850) 270-1222