Ashes of Modernism - The loss of modern architecure during the great LA Fires 2025
Ashes of modernism’ by Marc Trautmann.
Following a series of devastating fires, the destruction of iconic mid-century, brutalist and contemporary modernist homes in Pacific Palisades and Altadena was documented over an eight-week period. Among the losses were rare works by Gregory Ain, Ray Kappe, Robert Bridges, Kemper Nomland and Richard Neutra, including the Freedman House (1949) and the Bridges House (1991), a unique blend of Brutalism and wood. These buildings, which once represented the pinnacle of innovation, are now skeletons and ashes. This project, supported by the Richard Neutra Society in Germany, aims to reflect the fragility of architectural heritage in the face of climate catastrophe.
The project is currently seeking contacts with institutions and magazines to disseminate it.
The project includes the production of a ten-minute video recording.