Ashlyn Pause, a second-year graduate student in Historic Preservation at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture Preservation and Planning, was one of three scholars awarded the Tri-State Chapter’s Emerging Professionals Grant to attend the 19th International Docomomo Conference in Los Angeles, March 17–22, 2026. She shares takeaways from the conference below.

—-

In March I had the pleasure of attending the 19th International Docomomo Conference in Los Angeles due to the generosity of the New York Tri-State Chapter. Throughout the week of the conference, I attended each keynote and numerous sessions on the importance and preservation of Modern architecture. As it was my first time in Los Angeles, I also took the opportunity to explore the city and view many Modernist architectural classics in person. I was delighted to find how applicable many of the conference discussions were to my personal observations around the city.

At the top of my list was the Bonaventure Hotel, designed by John C. Portman in the 1970s. Luckily, I was able to attend the networking event in the top-story restaurant. Walking up to the multi-circular building at sunset reminded me of images I had seen in my architecture books. I took a moment to appreciate the exterior and the way the glass reflected the sunlight before going inside. My observations of the cylindrical exterior only increased the stunning impact of walking into the hotel for the first time and witnessing the abstract concrete forms moving throughout the interior with high-speed glass elevators, which seemingly floated into the ceiling. As I watched patrons utilize the space, I noted the appreciation others had for the unique design, stopping to admire and photograph the building as I was.

On my way back to the hotel, I was stopped in my tracks as I passed the Los Angeles Central Library on 5th Street, an early example of Art Deco architecture, distinguished by its integration of public art across both its exterior and interior. On a free morning, I had the pleasure of doing remote work on one of the building’s interior bridges overlooking a multi-story plaza, where I had a prime view of the hand-painted chandeliers. I noticed the plethora of patrons and children moving throughout the plaza and utilizing the space, noting the building as a key part of the community and the accessibility of the building’s artwork to anyone in the community.

This personal exploration of Los Angeles closely echoed themes presented at the conference, particularly in the panel titled “Preserving Monumental Outdoor Art: Challenges, Context, and Conservation.” The session discussed a wide range of outdoor public art, its importance within the societies it inhabits, and the conservation efforts that protect these works. I was especially struck by Aldo Solano Rojas’s discussion of playground architecture in a Peruvian community. His analysis framed playground equipment as a form of designed public sculpture, shaped by transnational influences, and rooted in an understanding of children as active participants in the urban environment.

This perspective reframed my own experiences in Los Angeles. Just as the playgrounds Rojas described are intentionally designed to engage children, spaces like the Los Angeles Central Library incorporate elements that invite curiosity and interaction across all age groups. The connection between these environments highlighted a broader takeaway from the conference: that public art and architecture, whether monumental or every day, derive much of their meaning from accessibility, engagement, and the diverse communities they serve.

— Ashlyn Pause