Preserving the Recent Past: Researching and Advocating for Postmodernism
Tuesday, September 16 at 12PM Eastern Time
Free Zoom Webinar
Please join Historic Preservation Education Foundation for the inaugural event of the 2025-2026 season on Tuesday, September 16 at 12PM EDT, featuring Preserving the Recent Past 4 conference presenter Maxime Coq of University of Liège (ULiège) and Andrea Goldwyn of The New York Landmarks Conservancy for a discussion moderated by HPEF Board member Priya Jain of Texas A&M University College of Architecture. This free event will be centered on research and advocacy related to postmodern architecture.
Maxime Coq is an architect currently pursuing a PhD at ULiège. In his talk, Maxime will uncover the stories embedded behind, above and within postmodern architecture through a consideration of The Walt Disney Company's commission of Michael Graves's Disney Hotel New York for EuroDisneyland. The design of the building originally celebrated the Golden Age of New York before being reimagined in 2021 as Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel. While the exterior remained unchanged, the interiors and narrative were completely rewritten-raising questions about the essence and value of postmodern architecture. Maxime probes how storytelling ambitions in postmodern architecture can be critically understood, valued, and preserved today.
Andrea Goldwyn is Director of Public Policy at the New York Landmarks Conservancy, a city-wide non-profit organization that advocates for New York City's historic buildings and neighborhoods. Andrea will discuss the recent advocacy campaign to designate the interior of 60 Wall Street as a New York City landmark, considering the unique challenges and opportunities that come with preserving the recent past.