Give
Apply

A

AIA CES Credits

/aiacescredits
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

AV Office

321M Fayerweather Hall

directory_address Created with Sketch.
Christopher Day, Kane H. Chiang, Ben Goldie
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/audio-video-off…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Abstract Publication

415 Avery Hall

directory_address Created with Sketch.
Ilana Curtis
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/abstract
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Academic Affairs

400 Avery Hall

directory_address Created with Sketch.
Danielle Smoller
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/academic-affair…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Academic Calendar, Columbia University

http://registrar…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Academic Calendar, GSAPP

/academic-calend…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Admissions Office

407 Avery Hall
1172 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, New York 10027

directory_address Created with Sketch.
Steffen Boddeker, Sara Konekeo, Monisola Fakiyesi
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/admissions
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Advanced Standing Waiver Form

Must be printed and returned to 400 Avery Hall

directory_address Created with Sketch.
https://d37vpt3x…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Alumni Board

/alumni/board
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Alumni Office

405 Avery Hall
1172 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, New York 10027

directory_address Created with Sketch.
Leah Cohen, Esther Turay, Elizah Laurenceau
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/alumni/contact
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Architecture Studio Lottery

/architecture-st…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Assistantships

/assistantships
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Avery Library

300 Avery Hall
1172 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10027

directory_address Created with Sketch.
http://library.c…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Avery Review

Joanna Joseph, Isabelle Kirkham-Lewitt
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
http://averyrevi…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Avery Shorts

Isabelle Kirkham-Lewitt, Joanna Joseph
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
http://www.avery…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

B

Black Student Alliance at Columbia GSAPP

/bsa
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Building Science & Technology Waivers

/building-tech-w…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Bulletin Archive

/bulletin-archiv…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

C

Career Services

300M Avery Hall

directory_address Created with Sketch.
Karen Cover, Rebecca Andersen Polimeda, Douglas Woodward, Sarahgrace Godwin
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/career-services…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Columbia Books on Architecture and the City

Isabelle Kirkham-Lewitt, Joanna Joseph, Meriam Soltan, Isabelle Tan
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/books
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Commencement

/commencement
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Communications Office

415 Avery Hall

directory_address Created with Sketch.
Steffen Boddeker, Lucy Krebsbach, Ilana Curtis
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/communications-…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Conversations podcast

/conversations
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Counseling and Psychological Services

http://health.co…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Courses

/courses
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Credentials Verification

/credentials-ver…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Credit Transfer

/credit-transfer…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Cross Registration

/cross-registrat…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

D

Dean’s Letter

/deans-letter
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Dean’s Office

402 Avery Hall
1172 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10027

directory_address Created with Sketch.
Janet Reyes, Sonya Marshall, Nicholas Roberts, Caio Major, Matthew Colunga
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/deans-office
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Development Office

404 Avery Hall

directory_address Created with Sketch.
Leah Cohen, Esther Turay, Elizah Laurenceau
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/development-off…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Directory of Classes (All Columbia University)

http://www.colum…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Disability Services

http://health.co…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Dodge Fitness Center

3030 Broadway Dodge

directory_address Created with Sketch.
https://perec.co…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Dual Degree Program Requirements

/dual-degree-req…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

E

End of Year Show

/eoys
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Events Office

415 Avery Hall

directory_address Created with Sketch.
Steffen Boddeker, Lucy Krebsbach
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/events-office
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

External Funding Sources

/admissions/tuit…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

F

Faculty Directory

/faculty
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Feedback

/feedback
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Finance Office

406 Avery Hall

directory_address Created with Sketch.
Janet Reyes, Kristina Camaj, Amanda Seitz
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/finance-adminis…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Fitch Colloquium

Sarahgrace Godwin, Jorge Otero-Pailos
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/fitch
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Future Anterior Journal

Jorge Otero-Pailos, Sarahgrace Godwin
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/future-anterior…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

G

GSAPP Community Fellowship Program

Alade S. McKen
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/anti-racism-act…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

GSAPP Emergency Fund

/gsapp-emergency…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

GSAPPX+

/gsappxxplus
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Grades

/grades
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Graduation

/commencement
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Graphics Project

Yoonjai Choi
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/graphics-projec…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

H

Honor System

/honor-system
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Human Resources

Elizabeth Alicea, Amanda Seitz
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/finance-human-r…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Hybrid Pedagogy Resources

/hybrid-pedagogy…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

I

IT Helpdesk Ticket, GSAPP

https://bit.ly/2…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

IT Office, GSAPP

Ben Goldie, Alvaro Gamboa, Christopher Hou, Roberto Marsach Jr., Nicholas Martucci, Diego Patino Toro, Hannette Un
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/it-support
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

IT, Columbia University (CUIT)

http://cuit.colu…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Identity

/identity
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Incubator Prize

/research/gsapp-…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO)

http://www.colum…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

J

Job Opportunities at Columbia

http://www.colum…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

K

Kenneth Frampton Endowed Lecture Series

/frampton-lectur…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Kinne Prize

/kinne
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

L

LatinGSAPP

/latingsapp
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Leave of Absence Policy

/leave-of-absenc…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

M

Making Studio

Schermerhorn Extension Floor 1

directory_address Created with Sketch.
Joshua Jordan, Yonah Elorza
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
https://www.arch…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

N

News and Press Releases

/news
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Newsletter Sign Up

https://columbia…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Non-Discrimination Statement and Policy

/non-discriminat…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

O

Onera Prize for Historic Preservation

/onera-prize
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Online Admissions Application

GSAPP Admissions 407 Avery Hall

directory_address Created with Sketch.
https://apply.gs…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Output Shop

116 Avery Hall
1172 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10027

directory_address Created with Sketch.
Carlito Bayne, Sherly Orilas
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/output-shop
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Ownership of Student Work Policy

/ownership-of-wo…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

P

Paris Prize, Buell Center

/buell-paris-pri…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Paul S. Byard Memorial Lecture Series

/byard-lectures
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Percival & Naomi Goodman Fellowship

/goodman-fellows…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Plagiarism Policy

/plagiarism-poli…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Policies & Resources

/policies-resour…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Press Releases

/news
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Publications Office

415 Avery Hall
1172 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, New York 10027

directory_address Created with Sketch.
Isabelle Kirkham-Lewitt, Joanna Joseph, Meriam Soltan
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/books
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Q

QSAPP

/qsapp
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

R

Registration

/registration
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Registration: Add / Drop Form

https://docs.goo…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Room Reservations

/room-reservatio…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

S

STEM Designation

/stem
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

/satisfactory-ac…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Scholarships

/admissions/tuit…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Skill Trails

Dan Taeyoung
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
https://skilltra…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Student Affairs

400 Avery Hall

directory_address Created with Sketch.
Danielle Smoller, Emily Dennis
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/student-affairs…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Student Awards

/student-awards
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Student Conduct

/student-conduct…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Student Council (All Programs)

/student-council…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Student Financial Services

http://sfs.colum…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Student Health Services at Columbia

http://health.co…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Student Organization Handbook

/books/catalog/5…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Student Organizations

/student-organiz…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Student Services Center

205 Kent Hall

directory_address Created with Sketch.
https://ssc.colu…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Student Services Online (SSOL)

https://ssol.col…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Student Work Online

/student-work
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Studio Culture Policy

/architecture-st…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Studio Procedures

/studio-procedur…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Summer Workshops

/summer-workshop…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

Support GSAPP

https://arch.giv…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

T

Travel Guide

/finance-adminis…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

U

URBAN Magazine

/urban-mag
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

University Apartment Housing (UAH)

http://facilitie…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

University Resources

/university-reso…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.

W

Website

Steffen Boddeker, Ilana Curtis
directory_staff Created with Sketch.
/website-colopho…
link_arrow Created with Sketch.
Close
This website uses cookies as well as similar tools and technologies to understand visitors' experiences. By continuing to use this website, you consent to Columbia University's usage of cookies and similar technologies, in accordance with the Columbia University Website Cookie Notice Group 6
Events

Obsolescence: Daniel Abramson

Thu, Nov 17, 2016    6:30pm

New York, Preservation Lecture Series
Abramson

Location

300S Buell Hall

The Historic Preservation Inquiry Series is generously sponsored by the Zabar Family Fund.

Obsolescence
Daniel Abramson

Where does the idea come from that architecture can become obsolete, suddenly lose its value and utility, and so become expendable in a short period of time? This paper traces the origins of the idea of architectural obsolescence to early-twentieth-century American financial district demolitions, tax policies, and decaying cities. In mid-century, many architects worldwide responded to obsolescence positively by embracing ephemerality and short-life buildings. Others, however, sought to revalue the obsolete and reinstate permanence, for example, through an invigorated preservationism, concrete brutalism, and ecological design The idea of obsolescence thus gave way in the 1970s to sustainability, today’s dominant paradigm for conceptualizing and managing change in the built environment, conserving rather than expending existing resources.

Daniel M. Abramson is professor of architectural history and director of architectural studies at Boston University. Previously, he taught at Tufts University. Abramson’s research focuses upon matters of economics, society, and architecture from the eighteenth through twentieth centuries, with a specialization in British and American subjects. He is the author of three books: Obsolescence: An Architectural History (University of Chicago Press, 2016); Building the Bank of England: Money, Architecture, Society, 1694–1942 (Yale University Press, 2005); and Skyscraper Rivals: The AIG Building and the Architecture of Wall Street (Princeton Architectural Press, 2001); as well as being co-editor of Governing By Design: Architecture, Economy, and Politics in the Twentieth Century (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2012) with the Aggregate Architectural History Collaborative, of which he is also a founding director.