Minnette De Silva’s unique position in the mid-20th century exemplifies cultural and local specificity in dialogue with a global modern movement. Her architectural practice was expressive of the materials, techniques, and history of her native Sri Lanka as well as her participation in a network of international architects and designers. As a result, De Silva’s legacy traces the complex and multi-directional vectors of modernity.
The conversation between her built work, dedication to the production of her own archive and commitment to the inclusion of traditional forms of labor, present De Silva as a leader in design. With most of her buildings lost to time and neglect, her architecture survives primarily through images and words. Denying reductive dichotomies of International Style and vernacular, client and architect, object and archive, her work instead reveals nuances in architectural practice that continue to be relevant today.
This year’s Womxn in Design and Architecture conference expands the geographical focus of architectural practice by taking De Silva’s work as a point of departure. In order to root its narrative in a wider context, we pose the question, how might this work move contemporary theory and practice toward productive dialogues?
Thursday: Keynote presentation by Anooradha Iyer Siddiqi
Friday: Presenters include Gillian Darley, Ashley de Vos, Curt Gambetta, Shoshana Goldstein, Tariq Jazeel, Anupama Kundoo, David Robson, D. Raja Segar, Yasmin Shariff, Shivani Shedde, Brinda Somaya
Full schedule online at wda.princeton.edu
The WDA conference is made possible by the Jean Labatut Memorial Lecture Fund. The School of Architecture, Princeton University, is registered with the AIA Continuing Education System (AIA/CES) and is committed to developing quality learning activities in accordance with the AIA/CES criteria.
Title
Minnette De Silva: Constructive DialoguesType
ConferenceOrganizers
From
March 04, 2021 06:00 PMUntil
March 05, 2021 04:00 PMVenue
Live stream via Princeton School of ArchitectureAddress