News from World Monuments Fund

WMF Calls for the Protection of Louis Kahn-Designed Campus in India

On December 30, World Monuments Fund (WMF) joined an international call urging the Indian Institute of Management – Ahmedabad (IIM-A) to reevaluate the partial demolition of the visionary building complex designed by Louis Kahn. The plan presented by IIM-A entailed dismantling 14 of 18 buildings within the historic campus and replacing them with newly constructed dormitories. 

Built between 1968 and 1978, this exemplary grouping of modernist buildings represents a vision for higher learning rooted in enriched student and faculty interactions, while reflecting progressive concepts of sound planning and sustainable use of resources. 

Following overwhelming international support for the preservation of the buildings, demolition plans are currently on hold. WMF stands ready to lend our expertise in finding a solution that protects the Kahn campus for future generations.

Read more about WMF’s position in The New York Times, Architectural Digest, and Hyperallergic.

A Decade After the Watch: The Gingerbread Neighborhood of Port-au-Prince

Eleven years ago this week, a devastating earthquake struck Haiti leaving an estimated 220,000 dead and 300,000 injured. The event brought immense destruction to the country’s built environment and vital infrastructure.

In the wake of the disaster, WMF collaborated with local and international institutions to facilitate efforts to assist the affected Gingerbread Neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, a 2010 World Monuments Watch site nominated by the Haitian Education & Leadership Program (HELP) and the Association of Haitian Architects and Urbanists (ASSHAU).

Since then, WMF has participated in various projects supporting the recovery of this historic neighborhood, including an assessment mission and report; a field school for trainees to gain hands-on knowledge of Gingerbread House repairs; and a restoration project at Maison Gauthier, a century-old Gingerbread House.

The Gingerbread Neighborhood was once again featured on the Watch in 2020 to support the creation of a consortium of all institutional custodians of Gingerbread Houses.

Through the Watch, WMF spotlights unique heritage places, elevating their stories and the voices of those that care for them through a wide variety of activities. Join us by nominating a site to the 2022 Watch or helping us spread the word.

Ontario Place: Towards an Inclusive Preservation Dialogue

Event Recording

Once a shining example of government support for the arts, education, and recreation, today Ontario Place is endangered by redevelopment plans. 

In this recording of last Thursday's virtual event, WMF Program Manager Javier Ors Ausín; architect and professor Aziza Chaouni; urban designer Ken Greenberg; and artist Charles Stankievech discuss the future of Ontario Place, a 2020 Watch site. 

This event was hosted in partnership with the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

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