International Register

The DOCOMOMO US Register is part of the larger effort by DOCOMOMO International and all other national/regional working groups to fulfill one of DOCOMOMO's aims: "to document significant examples of the modern movement and to share knowledge worldwide by creating a collective register." The register consists of documentation forms, referred to as fiches, which come in two formats, "full" and "minimum." The international register effort was started in 1992 and is headed by a committee, the International Specialist Committee on Registers (ISC/R).

The international register consists of fiches submitted by national/regional working groups and currently documents about 800 buildings and sites from approximately 35 countries worldwide. Submissions are done annually and the documentation is kept at the Netherlands Architecture Institute (NIA); means are also being explored to make the documentation available online. Since 2003 submissions to the international register have been based on a specific theme established by the committee for that year.

In addition to maintaining the archive the ISC/R published a selection of documented buildings during 2000 and plans broader publishing of the Register in the future. The ISC/R also works to nominate significant examples of modern architecture and planning to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

US Register

The US Register parallels the goal of the international register in documenting significant examples of modern movement architecture, urban design, landscapes and gardens within the United States. The US effort is led by the Register Committee made up of a board member, chapter representatives and other individuals. Contributions to the Register have been made by local DOCOMOMO chapters and interested individuals from across the country.

The US Register to date is comprised of fiches filled out and submitted along with photographs to either the chapter where the building is located or directly to DOCOMOMO US. Once the nomination has been reviewed and approved by the Register Committee the building or site is placed on the DOCOMOMO US Register, and may also be submitted to the ISC/R for inclusion on the DOCOMOMO International register.

Other pages under this portion of the website provide information on how to evaluate modern buildings and sites, as well as the fiches and fiche completion guidelines.

'The Register' Online - updated September 2007

To increase access to the Register, the US Working Party is working to establish an online searchable database of documented buildings and sites within the United States and its Territories. The goals of this effort are:

• to provide a useful educational tool for the public,
• to promote the significance of threatened modern buildings and sites, and
• to foster the identification, local designation, and ultimate conservation of modern movement resources.

The database will follow the informational format of the DOCOMOMO International Fiche. Its content will be routinely updated and expanded, and will initially allow the search of entries according to location, architect/designer, and building typology.The database will eventually be available under "the Register" page. Please re-visit the site for updates.

Register Contact

The Chair of the US Register Committee is Jon Buono. Please contact him at jbuono [at] eypae [dot] com if you are interested in the DOCOMOMO US Register, the current inventory of properties, or future initiatives for documentation.