Honoring the best in modernist preservation Every year for the last five years, Docomomo, an international organization dedicated to protecting and conserving modern architecture, singles out the best in architectural preservation in the U.S. and awards those projects with the American Modernism award. The honor is a nod to the painstaking work of ensuring the country?s most impactful buildings and designs remain impactful for years and decades to come.
This year?s jury, which includes Curbed?s architecture critic Alexandra Lange, has chosen to award 10 preservation projects, including Eero Saarinen?s renovated and expanded Gateway Arch Museum, John Lautner?s restored Silvertop house, Mies?s renovated Des Moines Catholic Pastoral Center, and the efforts to make a Joseph Eichler neighborhood a historic district in Orange, California.
Photo by Tim Street-Porter courtesy Docomomo
Silvertop?view from the backyard through the house.

Page & Turnbull courtesy Docomomo
Current view of a typical Eichler neighborhood in Orange. Credit:

Photo by Nic Lehoux courtesy Docomomo
Gateway Arch Museum?Pedestrian connection after restoration.

The new crop of winners cuts across buildings, interiors, and neighborhoods, which shows the breadth of preservation efforts in the country.
As Docomomo U.S. President Theodore Prudon says, ?This year?s Awards recognize projects as holistic and collaborative e...