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The Renovation of Baker House at MIT: Modernism, Materiality, and the Factor of Intent inPreservationAuthor(s): David N. FixlerSource: APT Bulletin, Vol. 32, No. 2/3 (2001), pp. 3-11Published by: Association for Preservation Technology International (APT)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1504733Accessed: 26/12/2008 13:55

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T h e Renovation o f a k e r o u s e t M I T Modernism

Materiality, and the Factor of Intent in Preservation

DAVID N. FIXLER

The renovation of Alvar Aalto'sBaker House at the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology provided arare opportunity to explore a diverse

range of issues surrounding thearchitect's original intent for the

building and how they were factored

into the sLralegy for its preservation.

I

Fig.1. BakerHouse rom he southwest,ground iew. Photograph yJeff Goldberg,ESTO, 999.

Authenticity, raditionally defined asthat which makes an original genuine, sa subject of constant debate n the canonof objectives of architectural reserva-tion. John Ruskin has described t as theindelible mprint of the craftsman orartist upon the thing in question,1whereas Walter Benjamin peaks of theconcept of "aura," or the presence of aradiant physical materiality n art, asdistinguishing he authentic rom acopy.2 Hubert-Jan Henket, the chairmanof DOCOMOMO International, ug-gests that in the architecture f theModern movement, he concept ofauthenticity must extend as well to thefaithful reatment of the social, techni-cal, and aesthetic deas embodied n thework, as much as to the physical actsand fabric of a building.3 These con-cerns are presented here because n thework of Alvar Aalto authenticity akes

on a particular esonance ubsumingother considerations. Authenticity oAalto involves a dynamic compromisebetween the use of materials, both mod-ern and traditional, n the configurationof nontraditional orm and space, andhis understanding f the fundamentalcentrality of the accommodation of thehuman experience n architecture,grounded n the coloration of his nativeFinland. Though in some respects n-complete, as will be demonstrated,Aalto's Baker House, a residence hall forthe Massachusetts nstitute of Technol-ogy (MIT) completed n 1949, focusesthis sense of authenticity and theinternal ensions ntrinsic o it - with aclarity hat elucidates he unique charac-ter of the building, and hence the coursetaken for the project of its renovation(Fig. 1).

Originally onceived as a dormitoryfor members of the senior class on thewestern edge of the campus, BakerHouse was the first built manifestation

of the postwar policy of MIT to increasethe role of residential ife in the educa-tional experience of the students. Thecommission was Aalto's second n theUnited States, he first being the FinnishPavilion at the 1939 New York World'sFair, an interior hat did not survive hefair but that quickly assumed almostmythic status n Aalto's oeuvre. Theconnections and notoriety gained fromthis work, coupled with Aalto's growingreputation as an iconoclastic modernist,gained him an adjunct aculty positionwith the MIT School of Architecture n1940. Following he war, Aalto returnedto MIT, where his innovative and pro-gressive deas on housing - ideas thatcould be well applied o MIT's statedgoal of reconceptualizing esidential ife

-made him the ideal choice for theseniors, dormitory commission.

The building parti s one of Aalto's

most brilliant onceptions (Fig. 2). Asingle oaded six-story slab of dormitoryrooms is bent and shaped to fit on a

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Fig.2. Aerial iew from outhwest. Courtesy fMITMuseum Archives,Cambridge,Mass.

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4 APT BULLETIN

constricted site facing the Charles Riverin such a way that more than 90 percentof the student rooms enjoy river views.Piercing the slab on a diagonal is asequence of low pavilions and lounge

spacesthat define the communal axis of

the building. The dormitory slab is cladin a rough, waterstruck New Englandbrick, a direct nod to the domesticGeorgian vernacular of this region (andAalto's first use of brick as an exposedexterior material). In contrast, the pavil-ions are articulated in stone, naturalwood, glass, and steel, materials thatimpart a collective monumental identityto these spaces. The dining commons, atwo-story terraced pavilion clad inlimestone, with wood-framed ribbonwindows and a bank of Aalto's signa-ture circular skylights, embodies thecommunal essence of the building. Aaltoreferred to the commons as the jewel ofthe composition, nestled in the embraceof the undulating brick slab in a gardenfacing the river.

Fig. 3. Rooftop pergola. Photograph by Jeff Goldberg, ESTO, 1999.

Background: Process

Although Aalto is not commonly per-ceived as one of the great theoreticiansof modern architecture, there is nonethe-less a significant polemical aspect to his

work, a point emphasized by GoranSchildt in his many works on Aalto,including his recent edition of Aalto'scollected writings.4 At the same time,the extensive historiography of theModern movement has clearly tracedthe extent to which modern architecturewas driven by theory, whether the posi-tivism of CIAM or the humanist, experi-ential "other tradition" of Aalto,Mendelsohn, and others so carefullyelucidated by Colin St. John Wilson.' Asthe architecture of the Modern move-ment was often seen as merely oneaspect of a larger modernist culturalproject, it therefore follows that preser-vation, as it evolves to embrace mod-ernist buildings and to define a largercultural agenda, should acknowledgeand respond to this idea. The challenge,therefore, in establishing a preservationmethodology for Baker House and forother iconic structures of the Modernmovement is to incorporate the dynam-ics of this component of modernistthought without, in particular cases,

diminishing he "aura" hat establishesthe authenticity and historical presenceof the artifact.

Understanding he fundamentalimportance of this idea to the success ofthe project, he MIT project eam pre-sented the design team, led by PerryDean Rogers and Partners: Architects,with a mandate o research and set indetailed perspective he design history ofBaker House and then to use thisknowledge o infuse the structure withthe physical and technological mprove-ments necessary o weather he nexthalf-century. The initial study ultimatelyproduced both a program and a preser-vation philosophy designed o sustain,enhance, and update the unique designand culture of Baker House. Both anunderstanding f how this concept of

authenticity hould be applied o Aalto'swork and how it impacted he formalstrategies used in the design approach othe project may be achieved hroughcase studies hat examine the synthesisof the program and this philosophy.

From the outset, all parties agreedthat, of necessity, his work was to be arenovation and that changes would haveto be made in some areas to the originalfabric. Therefore, because his was aproject with a high profile among many

diverse and articulate onstituencies, twas necessary o formulate a workingmethodology sufficiently ransparent othe parties ollowing the process so thatall could understand he reasons for thedecisions aken. The initial step was todocument he degree o which Aalto'soriginal ntent for the design of BakerHouse had been realized and to use thismaterial o inform both restorationdecisions and the renovation designprocess. Archival research done locallyand at the numerous Aalto archives nFinland produced enough informationto reconstruct, with a reasonable degreeof accuracy, he sequence of the BakerHouse design process. These effortswere greatly enhanced by the availabilityof Veli Paatela and Olav Hammarstrom,Finnish architects who respectivelyman-

aged the project or Aalto in Cambridgefrom 1946 to 1949, to provide nsightsinto many of the issues left unresolved atthe completion of the research.6

This material was initially synthe-sized (along with copious programinformation, a comprehensive buildingconditions survey, and construction costand phasing projections) nto a feasibil-ity study, which became he foundationupon which the subsequent design wasbased. An important omponent of the

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THE RENOVATION OF BAKER HOUSE 5

design process was the evaluation byboth the design team and a parallel"aesthetics ommittee" of scholars,architects, and preservation rofession-als - as to why key original design"features" hat were identified had beeneither changed or deleted between 1947and 1949. Once these determinationswere made, the delicate process of evalu-ating whether he needs and aspirationsof the present project mandated heirreconstruction was begun. These "origi-nal alternatives" all into three cate-gories: budget-driven eletions of archi-tectural embellishments, uch as trellisesand screens, o save money; changesmade for technical reasons, f either hecontractor was unable to build certainsystems as detailed or the material ech-

nology for a particular onstruction wasinsufficiently developed or the owner tosanction ts use; and last-minute on-siteinterpretations f some of Aalto's de-signs, made in his absence.

There was much discussion amongthe project eam members as to wherethe lines should be drawn when consid-ering whether o propose the rebuildingof any unexecuted elements. Orthodoxpreservation ractice states that theoriginal built form of the structureshould provide a normative ouchstonefrom which to reconstruct r restore awork of architecture. The exceptions othis rule typically are buildings hat havehad significant additions or alterationsmade over time that have enhanced hequality of the primary tructure or thosethat have had changes made that cannotbe reversed without causing rreparableharm to the original building. Accordingto these guidelines he approach oBaker House would be straightforward.Unsympathetic hanges of the 1960sand 1970s would be reversed, buildingsystems would be installed or replacedfor contemporary use, and alterationswould be unobtrusively made to bringthe building nto compliance with mod-ern codes and standards of accessibility.

This does in fact describe he tenor ofmuch of the work on this project, suchas the restoration of the central oungeson the upper loors via the removal ofthe 1962 bedroom additions, as well asreplacing he 1976 aluminum replace-ment windows with wood units match-ing the original profiles. However, many

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Fig. 4. Building model from north with metal stair cladding, 1947. Courtesy of MIT Museum

Archives, Cambridge, Mass.

believed hat, given the building's peda-gogical role and its pivotal place as thefirst realized work of Aalto at midcareer,this project represented rare opportu-nity to explore the possibility of usinghitherto unrealized aspects of the archi-tect's design to enhance he renovation.Within the areas to be restored asopposed to areas that were changedthrough nsertion or addition), only theinterpretation nd development ofAalto's

originaldeas were

considered,as these, it was believed, could be justi-fied as authentic nterventions. Thework in question s all well documentedand was clearly part of the designthrough completion of working draw-ings and into the beginning of construc-tion. It is important o note that any ofthe changes proposed for inclusion nthe restored work were also justified onthe grounds hat they would improvethe safety and/or functionality of thebuilding, as well as provide the expectedaesthetic enhancements.

Design Intent: Case Studies

The following process was used in theevaluation of three of the unexecutedfeatures of Aalto's design considered orinclusion n the restoration. One of thedesign characteristics hat most con-cerned Aalto was the plain appearanceof the brick facade on the river side ofthe building. Numerous drawings and amodel from 1947 reveal Aalto's ntent to

overlay a system of aluminum rellisesonto the curved portions of the southfacade. These were to be part of a largertrellis network that was proposed tocover a portion of the dining pavilionand then to extend up the building andspread out over the roof. In Aalto'scorrespondence o his site representa-tives through 1948, he repeatedly tatesthe importance hat these elements have(particularly he trellises along thecurved

acades)n

creatingine-scaleand

architectural nterest on this part of thebuilding. Although not present n the1947 model, studies exist for a devel-oped roofscape ncluding a pergola andeven (in one study) a thin-concrete hellpavilion, similar n character o therooftop terrace at the Paimio Sanato-rium. Its importance o Aalto had to doboth with the health and recreationalpossibilities of a terrace or the students,as well as with giving the building astrong horizontal "cap" where seenfrom afar.

Precedents or trellis-like lements nAalto's oeuvre date back to the ViipuriLibrary and continually reappear as adesign trope throughout his career,although the prominence of the BakerHouse trellises go beyond their usage inhis earlier work. In Aalto's Finnishbuildings hese elements, usually exe-cuted in rough-hewn wood, evoke therusticity and filtered ight of the north-ern forest. At Baker House they aretransformed via the use of modern

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6 APT BULLETIN

:. ;''

Fig. 5. North facade with tile cladding. Computer rendering by Tim Johnson.

American echnology into a visuallybrilliant, machine-made rame designedto be softened over time by nature, nthe form of vines.

Analysis showed that the south trel-lises would be difficult o justify as apurely formal ntervention and that theywould be expensive and difficult omaintain; hese reasons for their deletionin 1949 could not be overcome ifty

yearsater. Thus

theywere not consid-

ered for incorporation nto the work.However, he culture of Baker Househas always supported an active roofs-cape, so here the opportunity was seizedto celebrate he role of the roof with theconstruction of a pergola inking theelevator obby and the main stair pent-houses. The actual design of the pergolais inspired by Aalto precedents, but it isalso clearly a contemporary ntervention- no attempt s made to confuse thenew fabric with previously existingwork (Fig. 3). The pergola strengthensthe center of the composition, marks heplace of activity on the roof, and pro-vides an architectural ackdrop or thelife of the terrace.

The second example generated hegreatest debate of any issue surroundingthe restoration process. The north stairwall at Baker House, a cascading con-structivist lement hat plays masterfullyoff the serpentine dormitory block andthe old industrial andscape of EastCambridge o which it originally aced,

was a subject of intense study by Aaltoand his assistants Fig.4). The exteriorcladding system was originally proposedto be metal. Studies exist for an alu-minum curtain wall system, althoughAalto eventually ejected aluminum onthe grounds hat the contrast betweenthe large areas of bright metal and dark,waterstruck brick was too harsh. Anec-dotal evidence abounds that "black

copper" (a copper alloysimilar o that

used by Aalto in contemporary projectsin Finland) was also proposed for thewall cladding. This would have pro-duced a rich mix of texture and colorsimilar o that found in designs Aaltoprepared hortly following Baker Housefor the Saynatsalo Town Hall (1950)and the National Pensions InstituteHeadquarters 1952), designs hatstrengthen he notion of Baker House asa pivotal work in Aalto's emergingpostwar aesthetic.

Ultimately, Aalto settled on a systemof vertically triated, unglazed erra-cotta tile (examples can be seen on thecourtyard wall of his ExperimentalHouse at Muuratsalo) on a backup oflight-gauge teel framing o clad thestairway. The record states that in thecourse of construction, he contractorstated that they could not guaranteecompletion of the building on time withthe tile cladding; MIT therefore agreedto accept the change to a three-coatstucco system (which also involved a

substantial eduction n cost).1Thisdecision was met with scathing objec-tion from MIT Architecture DeanWilliam Wurster, who saw himself as theguardian of Aalto's vision and claimed,in a letter to MIT president ames Kil-lian, that stucco was a cheap, shoddymaterial hat would severelycompro-mise the integrity of Aalto's design.7

Exploration of this issue in our inter-views with Aalto's assistants revealedthat the contractor was wary of thetechnical design of the tile cladding andthat they had, in fact, told MIT thatthey would not guarantee he integrityof this system. Taken n this light, MITreally did not have a choice in this deci-sion, as the project eam would natu-rally be unwilling o risk the failure of a

substantial part of the exterior wall.A preservation dilemma hus arose atthis juncture. The present stucco system,although not particularly ttractive andin need of repair, has held up remark-ably well over the last fifty years. Stan-dard preservation practice would dictatethe conservation of the stucco as theauthentic abric, or, should the materialfailure urn out to be greater han sus-pected, ts removal and replacementwith new stucco in kind. This material san original part of the historical recordand should therefore be

respectedand

conserved. There was, however, ignifi-cant sympathy among many of theproject participants nd experts familiarwith the issue that the present nitiativerepresented unique opportunity orestore an authentic component ofAalto's unrealized design ntent, whilesimultaneously nhancing he appear-ance and integrity of the exterior enve-lope. In this manner one could postulatea strategy or centuries, rather handecades; an analogy could be drawnbetween he north wall of Baker Houseand portions of late medieval and earlyRenaissance tructures hat awaitedcompletion with temporary materials,pending he availability of either thefunds or technology to complete thework.

To gain a clear picture of the issue,the design team conducted detailedstudies of the projected appearance fthe tile wall (Fig. 5). Through his effortit became apparent even to somepreservationists hilosophically pposed

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Fig. 6. Baker Dining rom lower level. Photograph by Ezra Stoller, ESTO,

1949.

Fig. 7. Baker Dining rom lower level. Photograph by Jeff Goldberg, ESTO,

1999.

to the change) that implementing he tilewould significantly nrich he quality ofthe north stair as an architectural le-ment, as well as the building as a whole.The primary reading of the brick facadesis rough and horizontal, punctuated bythe projecting accents of the clinkerbricks, which cast long shadows in theraking ight that falls along the northelevations. This same light, in early

morning and late afternoon, wouldcreate a subtle vertical counterpoint nthe raised striations of the tile, thusenergizing he rich material contrast.The effect of this material ensemblewould also be significantly heightenedwith the proposed restoration of theoriginal wood windows, which wouldprovide a light, harmonic contrast o thedark earth tones of the brick and tile.

After engthy debate, a consensuswas achieved hat, in this case, the valueof the stucco to the MIT community, asa familiar component of a buildingvalued as the repository of the collectivememory of fifty years of users, tippedthe scales in favor of the conservationistargument; he stucco has been ruled theauthentic material by virtue of tradition,rather han the tile by virtue of intent.This decision was facilitated by concernsover budget (tile would increase costs by$250,000), by the durability of theexisting finish, and by lingering concernon the part of the present design teamabout the feasibility of creating a techni-

cally sound tile panel system without aradical reconsideration f the originaldetailing, which would in all likelihoodmodify the appearance f the finishedproduct. Taken n the larger context ofAalto's work, however, t is not difficultto accept the concept of the tile as theauthentic material. We believe hat theexploration of this issue has shown that,given a material at the point of failure

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(i.e., if the stucco had proven to be in asbad condition as it looks) and an optionto retrieve a more-robust alternativeclearly preferred by the original archi-tect, a strong philosophical argumentcan be made that the truly authenticsolution would be to seek to make thechange.

The final llustration alls into boththe categories f second-guessing n

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Fig. 9. Baker Dining with trellised columns. Photograph by Ezra Stoller, ESTO, 1949.

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Fig. 10. Baker Dining with wood ceiling. Photograph by Jeff Goldberg, ESTO, 1999.

Aalto's absence and of code-conformancemandating hanges o the original design(Figs.6 and 7). Before 1998, the

balustrade f the balcony n the dipavilion was a solid wall approxin20 inches high, capped by an open

railing with a carved wood toprail.Drawings as late as February 949 showa solid balustrade with a more richlyarticulated wood rail serving as a wallcap. Given Aalto's reatment f similarbalcony motifs n Finnish works such asthe Rautatalo and the Academic Book-shop, it seems ikely hat the solidbalustrade was indeed Aalto's inal designintent, a notion confirmed byHammarstrom.8 alto, he claims, n-

gi r tended he higher walls of the balustradewithin the light well to act as reflectorsfor the moon garden kylights o thedining room below and to create a moreprivate pace for the cafe/lounge usersupstairs on the balcony evel.

Because he original design did notmeet current ife-safety tandards, arge-

:-7,:: scale models and mockups were con-structed n situ to explore the range ofalternates hat could be considered orthe railings and balustrade hat wouldsatisfy modern requirements f heightand opening size. It quickly becameapparent hat a conforming balustradefabricated of any of the conventionalinfill methods such as bars, mesh, orglass would fail to retain the characterof Aalto's design and that the more-elaborate handrail of 1949 was tooheavy an element o be comfortable nthe

space. However,t was determined

that the higher balustrade did in factenhance and reinforce qualities of theoriginal room and that this change couldbe accomplished by conserving andreassembling he existing rail-and-wood-cap system with shorter metal struts onthe taller wall. The stair railings, whichwere originally articulated with a steelrod running centered between each ofthe support posts, have been brought ocode through he addition of two paral-lel intermediate ods in each section.The banister ontinues to provide alight, sweeping counterpoint o the solidwall of the balcony rail and the delicatevertical vanes of the wood fascia edgingthe lower level. Thus it was possible topreserve much of the railing abric, oprove the merit of Aalto's aestheticintent, and to retain the unique, coniccharacter of this space (Fig. 8).

A conscious decision was madenlng throughout he building o finish allnately interior woodwork, old and new, in thesteelmanner, rather han attempt oame manner, ather han attempt o

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induce an artificial patina n the materi-als used in the restoration exceptionswere made only in areas of originalwoodwork that needed spot repairs).This approach, utilizing he same clear-finish varnish ormula as had been usedin 1949, has produced a subtle contrastbetween the old and the new work thatwill fade, but never entirely disappear,over time.

Design Interventions:Systems Integration

The greatest challenge acing he designteam in upgrading Baker House was thesympathetic ntegration f contemporarytechnology nto a reinforced-concretestructure with masonry nterior parti-tions and 9-foot floor-to-floor heights. In1949 Baker House had no air condition-ing, no sprinklers, minimal elecommu-nications wiring, and sparse ighting.Thus it became an overriding necessityto devise a method for the provision ofthese systems n a harmonious, architec-turally ntegrated ashion (Figs. 9 and10).

In the principal public spaces, sys-tems are entirely accommodated by theextension of elements originally de-signed by Aalto for these areas. Newmechanical

ystemswere

integratednto

the first-floor fireplace) ounge by selec-tively extending he original system ofwood-slat soffits back to locationswhere they could be chased to the lowerlevel. At the upper evel of the diningroom, discreet an coil units were re-quired above the ceiling to providesupplemental heat and air conditioningto this space, in addition to new lightingand fire-protection ystems. Simultane-ously, the students requested a greaterdegree of acoustic control and isolationin the dining hall. Research uncoveredoriginal drawings executed during heconstruction phase for an accessible,open wood-slat acoustical ceiling that, ifimplemented, ould conceal all of thenecessary ystems and eliminate he needfor access panels n an already visuallycrowded plane. In this case then, origi-nal intent and present necessity dove-tailed to create a practical and aestheti-cally pleasing solution to a difficultproblem.

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Fig. 11. Lower-level recreation and study area build-out. Photograph by Jeff Goldberg, ESTO, 1999.

On the residential loors, we decidedthat the corridors hould retain as muchof their original appearance s possibleand that it made greater architecturalsense to run the miles of piping andwiring required o service he studentrooms within soffits run parallel o thecorridor nside the rooms. Given thetremendous ost and impact of thissystem upon the building affectingevery student room), a series of mock-ups was built and refined over a 15-month period to arrive at the optimalmix of aesthetics, economy, and ease ofservice accessibility. As eventually exe-cuted, the natural-finish millwork unitsmerely box out the beams already pre-sent over the doors and windows; theylend additional warmth o the spacesand complement he original Aalto

furniture, which itself has been compre-hensively restored over the last five yearsby a local millwork shop under a sepa-rate contract.

Throughout he lower level, theopportunity was taken to build outunderutilized, nfinished paces as newprogram areas (Fig. 11). A glazed-wallsystem, with birch framework and infillpanels recalling he material claddingthe upper-level orridors, was designedto create a fitness room, study areas, a

conference oom, and other activityspaces. The east side of the lower level isthe only location within the buildingfrom where it is possible to perceive hefull sweep of the serpentine lab. Here itwas decided o glaze the upper evel ofall of the perpendicular ividing parti-tions as well, in order to reveal andreinforce his perception. n addition,the reorganization f the mechanicalsystems allowed for the development ofa new soffit system that provided ser-vices to the new spaces along the eastcorridor, s well as a higher ceiling (andconsequently greater daylight) n theserooms.

Lighting

Aino Aalto, Alvar's irst wife and profes-sional partner, was a close collaboratorin the refinements f lighting, urnish-ings, plantings, and fabric designs devel-oped to grace their unique spaces. Aino'sfinal illness and untimely death tookAalto away from Baker House for al-most the entire final year of construc-tion; there s considerable vidence hat,with the exception of the moon gardenlights in the dining room, the Aaltos hadlittle if any part in the design of thebuilding ighting. In 1949 Baker's ight-

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change was necessary and where he hadclearly planned t (minimizing he possi-bility of the conjectural) nd otherwiseto remain sympathetic and evolutionary.To attempt a conscious "contemporary"approach would at best be seen as an

attempt o upstage a subtle design andat worst an insensitive, and quicklydated, intrusion.

There are pitfalls of the close engage-ment of this approach. There s no doubtthat significant rchitecture s in mostcases the result of an ongoing, opencollaboration between a great architect,an enlightened lient (whose judgment san important omponent of the designprocess), and a skilled and sympatheticbuilder. This philosophy does not invali-date contributions of the owner, thebuilder, or history to the evolution of abuilding, but it does recognize hat thecomplexity, iming, and resultantstresses nvolved n any large construc-tion effort are such that often decisionsare made, without the full consent of allof the principals nvolved, that may because for critical reflection.

Is this conjectural history or, moreradically, revival under present circum-stances of a fifty-year-old ialogue hatquestions he authority of history? Toanswer this question might open a de-bate implicating he very nature and

validity of restoration, which in thewords of Ruskin, a seminal hinker onthese matters, s an idea that seems alie.14But preservation s both an idealand a pragmatic art, where the ideal sideis judiciously pragmatic, particularly nrespecting he historical record on whichdecisions may be based and in offeringclear practical and aesthetic reasons forthe implementation f any change.Where he building's pedagogical mis-sion and its projected ong-term usehave been clearly defined and restated,

these in turn will inform the logic for the

preservation f the structure. t shouldemerge, as did the examples cited in thisarticle, rom a process that includes anopen dialogue among the design teamand the various constituencies havingstewardship over the historic property.

It is also important hat prior toundertaking ny change, survivingoriginal conditions be thoroughly docu-mented so that there will be no futureconfusion regarding he chronology ofthe evolution of the building. In the finalanalysis, preservation, specially as it isapplied o the work of the Modernmovement, must interpret he idea of abuilding as well as its physical record asan historic artifact. This is especiallycritical n the work of an architect ofAalto's stature; herefore n the course ofthe renovation, Aalto's original deashave been utilized, albeit selectively, oreinforce and elucidate he strange andwonderful design of Baker House, aswell as to complement he new worknecessary o prepare t for the centuryahead.

DAVID N. FIXLER is an architect andprincipal at Einhorn Yaffee Prescott Architec-ture and Engineering n Boston. While at PerryDean Rogers and Partners, Architects, he led thedesign team responsible for the renovation ofBaker House. A frequent writer and lecturer onarchitecture and preservation, he is a founder of

DOCOMOMO/US-New England and a mem-ber of DOCOMOMO International SpecialtyCommittee on Registers.

Notes1. John Ruskin, "The Lamp of Memory,"section XVIII. Chap. 6 in The Seven Lamps ofArchitecture. (New York: Noonday Press,1961), 184-185.

2. Walter Benjamin, "The Work of Art in theAge of Mechanical Reproduction," in Illumina-tions, ed. Hannah Arendt (New York:Schocken, 1969), 221; quoted in Hilde Heynen,Architecture and Modernity, (London: E&FNSpon, 1998), 13-17.

3. Hubert-Jan Henket, "The Icon and theOrdinary," n Alan Cunningham, ed., ModernMovement Heritage (London: E&FN Spon,1998), 13-17.

4. Goran Schildt ed., Alvar Aalto - CollectedWritings (New York: Rizzoli, 1996), 7-9.

5. Colin St. John Wilson, The Other Tradition

of Modern Architecture (London: Academy/St.Martins, 1995), 97-102, for material specificallyreferencing Baker House. Aalto's position withregard to the modernist interpretation of thehumanist tradition has more recently beenarticulated by Sarah Williams Goldhagen asthat of the "situated modernist" in Goldhagen,"Coda: Reconceptualizing the Modern," inAnxious Modernisms, ed. Goldhagen andRejean Legault (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2000),301-320.

6. Veli Paatela and Olav Hammarstrom,interviews, June 25, 1996, and August 8, 1996,respectively.

7. William Wurster, etter to MassachusettsInstitute of Technology (MIT) President JamesKillian, (Institute Archives, November 1948,Hayden Library, MIT, Cambridge).8. Olav Hammarstrom, interview, August 8,1996.

9. Alvar Aalto, address to Royal Institute ofBritish Architects (RIBA), London, 1956.

10. Stanford Anderson, "Aalto and 'Methodi-cal Accommodation to Circumstance,"' in TimoTuomi et al., eds., Alvar Aalto in Seven Build-ings/Alvar Aalto in Sieben Bauwerken.(Helsinki: Museum of Finnish Architecture,1998), 142-149. The title comes from a refer-ence made by Aalto about the Karelian farm-house in Aalto, Alvar, "Karjalan Rakennus-taide" ["Architecture n Karelia"], Usi Suomi 2(1941 November).11. United States Department of the Interior,"Standards or Rehabilitation," numbers 3 and9, in The Secretary of the Interior's Standardsfor the Treatment of Historic Properties, 1995,(web-based version, www.cr.nps.gov/local-law/arch_stnds_8_ .htm.).

12. David DeLong, keynote address from Pre-serving the Recent Past 2, Philadelphia, 11 Oct.2000. These remarks were also made in a simi-lar address given by Professor DeLong from theFirst Annual James Marston Fitch Symposium,Columbia University, New York, 12 Feb. 2000.

13. John Ruskin, op cit.

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