Objets-souvenirs, objets d'histoire ?

Abstract

The history of architecture based on the memory of project managers appeared in the first half of the 20th century, when post-modernist architects turned to history and the models it had passed on to them. This return to the roots established the beginning of a new historical research that saw the emergence of archives studies and the creation of the first centres for architects’ archives. Since then, a number of specialised institutions have flourished and the memory of architects is getting organized. Today, agencies favour images of their memories for communication purposes. The development of digital production forces them to take an active part in the conservation of documents, mainly for technical reasons. Therefore, the choices made will be decisive for the hindsight perception of the work. Similarly, the significant increase of documents produced by agencies during the 20th century, along with the arrival of new medias, imply an evolution of the role of archivists who select, not only the collections, but also the type of documents to be preserved. Along with traditional scale models, sketches, blue prints and written documents, a few archive centres have started collecting digital files. New relationships are slowly emerging between agencies, archive centres or museums. Some architects even (re)create documents at the request of museums. At the same time, some famous architects are organizing the conservation of their memory in foundations. The communication policy and the digital medias of production in modern agencies lead archivists and historians to wonder about the relationships linking architects with their archives — tools of representation of their work — and to what extent they might be manipulated. The history of architects’ archives will enable us to understand the relationships between them and their producer, as well as the issues presently at stake.

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