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JournalStatementMelnikov House: Saving an Avant-Garde Icon | Iconic Houses Lecture Tour

Melnikov House: Saving an Avant-Garde Icon | Iconic Houses Lecture Tour

Category : Statement
Date : February 18, 2020

VANCOUVER: On February 27th, join the West Coast Modern League and Iconic Houses Lecture Tour for an evening featuring Moscow’s architectural avant-garde Melnikov House. Pavel Kuznetsov, Director of the Konstantin and Viktor Melnikov State Museum and Deputy Director of the Shusev State Museum of Architecture in Moscow, will discuss the history of Moscow’s Melnikov House, an icon of 20th century Russian architecture, and the tragic life of the architect Konstantin Melnikov in a collectivist society.

The Melnikov House, designed by Konstantin Melnikov for himself and his family, is an icon of the Russian architectural avant-garde. The experimental cylindrical structure was built between 1927 and 1929 to test Melnikov’s concepts for mass-produced housing. Melnikov believed that the essence of his house lay in the balance and equivalence of weight, light, air, and heat. The original layout, elegant spatial arrangement, and ingenious engineering techniques are combined in a unique architectural form that still looks modern. Retaining some historic elements of the 20th century, the house also reflects the tragic life of this solo architect in a collectivist society.

Pavel Kuznetsov will discuss the history of the Melnikov House from inception in the early 20th century through establishing the museum in 2014 and today’s conservation project. He will explore the newly discovered information that uncovered the architectural, engineering, and philosophical ideas lying behind Melnikov’s ambitious plan to build an architectural manifesto in 1920s Soviet Russia.

Reception + Lecture:

THURS, FEBRUARY 27, 2020 – 5:00pm to 7:00pm PST
Inform Interior, 50 Water Street, Vancouver, BC
Presented by the West Coast Modern League
In Partnership with Inform Interiors

Reception from 5–6:00pm. Presentation from 6–7:00pm.

Registration Required:

Free event. Open to the public.

 

EVENTS: Melnikov House: Saving an Avante-Garde Icon

 

The West Coast Modern League gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Inform Interiors, DIALOG Vancouver, and the Audain Art Museum.

 

Pavel Kuznetsov

Pavel Kuznetsov, is an economist by education, and a researcher in Soviet avant-garde architecture by vocation. He lives in a constructivist apartment in a house commune in Moscow and works as deputy director of the Schusev State Museum of Architecture. Since 2014, he has overseen the collections and archives of the Melnikov House and its transition from a private home to a public museum. As director of the State Museum of Konstantin and Viktor Melnikov he also directed the pre-conservation survey of the Melnikov House, supported by a grant from Keeping it Modern, an initiative of the Getty Foundation. His book, The Melnikov House: Icon of the Avant-Garde, Family Home, Architecture Museum was published in Berlin in 2017. When not researching, he was the first Russian to successfully swim the English Channel (in 14 hours, 33 minutes, 25 seconds).

Iconic Houses Lecture Series

The Iconic Houses Lecture Series launched in 2014 in five cities in Europe to raise awareness about modern house museums and their frequent struggles to survive. As speakers, we welcomed the directors of and experts on some of the world’s most Iconic Houses, such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, Philip Johnson’s Glass House and Eileen Gray’s Villa E-1027. The initiative in Europe was taken by five house museums: Sonneveld House, Haus Ungers, Villa Stenersen, Villa Tugendhat and Van Schijndel House, followed in 2018 by Villa Müller. After the successful tours in Europe, Iconic Houses launched its first Iconic Houses Lecture Tour to 3 venues in the US and Canada in February 2020, with Pavel Kuznetsov’s lecture on the Melnikov House. All previous lectures can be found on the Iconic Houses website.

Iconic Houses

Iconic Houses makes life easier for fans of 20th century architecture, even acting as the ultimate architecture travel wish list. The website provides a handy reference for 150 of the world’s most iconic modern house museums and private homes that you can visit by appointment, some even accommodating overnight guests. It’s also a bucket list for planning your next country or city trip. www.iconichouses.org

 
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Behind every modern house is a story more interest Behind every modern house is a story more interesting than any fiction could tell, and while this house has certainly seen better days, its history is storied. Known as the Challier House, it was originally built in 1961 and, while Challier was himself an architect, the home was designed by James R. Tettamanti with landscape by Raoul Robillard. 

Herbert Challier was a graduate of UBC architecture and would go on to work for McCarter Nairne before establishing his own private practice based first in Yaletown and eventually out of this home. Over his career, Challier had a history of working on theatre designs and is credited for designing Grouse Mountain's "Theatre in the Sky." He was also a varsity rower and a skier on the Whistler Ski Patrol. 

This was not Herb Challier's first home on the North Shore. The Challier family originally lived in a forested subdivision, leaving for this oceanview home when suburbia engulfed the surrounding forest. Their 1951 home was one of the original Neoteric houses, designed by none other than Fred Hollingsworth.

Challier House is currently on the market and, with an enthusiastic owner and a healthy budget, it could go on to be a stunning home for future generations. 
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Challier House, 1961
West Vancouver, BC
Designed by James R. Tettamanti
Landscape by Raoul Robillard

MLS #R2813421

[Images 2-4] Courtesy of Sam McColl

Link in bio for MODERN WEST COAST PLACES, the League's ongoing survey of modern west coast buildings + projects
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#westcoastmodern #modernhouse #midcenturymodern #midcenturymoderndesign #cliffhouse #poolwithaview #modern #architecture #modernarchitecture #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #canadianarchitecture #iconichouses #heritagehouse #modernheritage #fixerupper #architecturelovers #archilovers #artarchitecture #westvancouver #britishcolumbia #herbertchallier #jamestettamanti #raoulrobillard #modernwestcoastplaces #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlvan
"Located at the centre of the Fraser Valley, the a "Located at the centre of the Fraser Valley, the agricultural hub of southwestern BC, the college features the School of Horticulture, as well as many vocational, academic, career and special education programs. The campus seeks to establish a relationship between its role as a place of learning and community interaction and its rural setting. The heart of campus is the central agora, a gathering space focused on the historic Wark/Dumais House and orchard and the wetlands of Logan Creek. Radiating outward are the college buildings, teaching gardens (including an insect garden!), parking and the school's greenhouses."[1]
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Kwantlen Polytechnic University, 1993
Langley, BC
Designed by Barry Downs with
Ron Beaton & Glenn Burwell (Downs/Archambault & Partners)
Landscape by Cornelia Hahn Oberlander

[1] Barry Downs: Melding Architecture with Landscape (2013). West Vancouver Art Museum.

Link in bio for MODERN WEST COAST PLACES, the League’s ongoing survey of modern west coast buildings and projects
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#modernarchitecture #modernism #modern #architecture #modernlandscape #campusarchitecture #universitycampus #vancouvermodern #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #landscapearchitecture #modernbuilding #design #iconicbuildings #kwantlenpolytechnicuniversity #kwantlencollege #architecturelovers #archilovers #barrydowns #barrydownsarchitect #corneliahahnoberlander #downsarchambault #modernwestcoastplaces #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlvan
Aside from being places of learning, campuses them Aside from being places of learning, campuses themselves have an intimate impact on the psyche of their students and educational outcomes. As campuses return to being busy hives of activity, we turn our attention to a few campuses, beginning with Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Langley Campus. Coompleted in 1993, KPU Langley was designed by Barry Downs, with Ron Beaton and Glenn Burwell (Downs/Archambault and Partners) with landscape by Cornelia Hahn Oberlander. As the home of the university’s School of Horticulture, the architecture was designed to integrate with its pastoral setting. “Architecturally, the complex, although collegiate in character and constructed with tan brick, exposed concrete columns and grey metal sheathing, is intended to recall the muted colours of indigenous plantings, the wetland’s clay soil and the old industrial and farm structures of the valley. Varied tree species and the plantings of wildflowers and native grasses both address the college’s active horticultural program and, at the same time, weave the most structured ground areas–next to campus buildings–with the lush natural environment of Logan Creek.”[1] 
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Kwantlen Polytechnic University, 1993
Langley, BC
Designed by Barry Downs with
Ron Beaton & Glenn Burwell (Downs/Archambault & Partners)
Landscape by Cornelia Hahn Oberlander

[1] Barry Downs: Melding Architecture with Landscape (2013). West Vancouver Art Museum. 

Link in bio for MODERN WEST COAST PLACES, the League’s ongoing survey of modern west coast buildings and projects
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#modernarchitecture #modernism #modern #architecture #modernlandscape #campusarchitecture #universitycampus #vancouvermodern #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #landscapearchitecture #modernbuilding #design #iconicbuildings #kwantlenpolytechnicuniversity #kwantlencollege #architecturelovers #archilovers #barrydowns #barrydownsarchitect #corneliahahnoberlander #downsarchambault #modernwestcoastplaces #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlvan
Originally founded in 2013, this 2023-24 season ma Originally founded in 2013, this 2023-24 season marks our 10th, and we're excited to share with you our upcoming lineup of events, programs, and initiatives. Thank you for your continued support and, if you haven't already, please join our community! 

Follow us here and subscribe to our mailing list for our latest projects and announcements (link in bio). 
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The West Coast Modern League (WCML/The League) is a leading voice for modern architecture + design on Canada's west coast. We are an independent, non-profit society that celebrates, and advances the understanding and appreciation of, architecture, urbanism, and design of the North American west coast, with a special focus on the southern coastal regions of British Columbia. We are driven by the vanguard of the West Coast Modern movement, inspired by its distinctive culture, and energized by the future of modern design across our region.
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#westcoastmodern #westcoastmodernism #westcoastmodernarchitecture #westcoastmodernliving #westcoastdesign #architecture #modern #modernarchitecture #modernlandscape #landscapearchitecture #midcenturymodern #midcenturymoderndesign #alliedarts #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #architecturelovers #archilovers #canadianarchitecture #canadamodern #pnwarchitecture #pacificnorthwest #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlvan
MODERNISM ELSEWHERE | Even under a thick cloak of MODERNISM ELSEWHERE | Even under a thick cloak of dreadful wildfire smoke, the Heating & Cooling Plant at the University of Regina stands as a ray of light. Designed by prairie architect Clifford Weins, the building was constructed to house the central heating and cooling infrastructure for the university campus. Trevor Boddy exclaims that "[Clifford] understood the prairie landscape and how important the skies are and the horizon and constantly worked with those."

Graham Livesey described the building as “most indicative of his architecture in that it is seemingly straightforward, yet intricate in execution; its bold shape is reminiscent of both iconic Indigenous and agricultural forms.”
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Heating & Cooling Plant
University of Regina
Regina, SK
Designed by Clifford Weins
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#modernismelsewhere #universityofregina #cliffordwiens #canadianarchitect #canadianarchitect #modernarchitecture #midcenturymodern #modern #architecture #architectureheritage #iconicbuildings #artarchitecture #architecturelovers #modernheritage #saskatchwan #modernplaces #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlvan
“This simple structure located in Saskatchewan B “This simple structure located in Saskatchewan Beach [was] an icon of mid-century modern Prairie architecture. Silton Chapel, as it is known, [was] an innovative open-air worship space completed in 1967 for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina by renowned architect Clifford Wiens, who was awarded a prestigious Massey Medal for Architecture for its design. The chapel [was] built into a hillside on Last Mountain Lake. A pyramidal roof and glue-laminated cross beams appear to float above worshippers, thanks to an ingenious structural system of hidden tension rods.”[1]

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Silton Chapel, Our Lady of the Lake, 1967
Saskatchewan Beach, Silton, SK
Designed by Clifford Wiens
Massey Medal for Architecture

[1] 2012 Heritage. Volume XV, Numero 4.
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#siltonchapel #cliffordwiens #canadianarchitect #canadianarchitect #modernarchitecture #midcenturymodern #modern #architecture #architectureheritage #iconicbuildings #masseymedal #artarchitecture #architecturelovers #modernheritage #saskatchwan  #modernplaces #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlvan

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