Founded in 1996, Docomomo US/Northern California is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated to documenting and conserving the Modern Movement's buildings, sites, and neighborhoods.
Founded in 1996, Docomomo US/Northern California is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated to documenting and conserving the Modern Movement's buildings, sites, and neighborhoods.
The 19th International Docomomo Conference in Los Angeles explored how modernism is anything but a placeless “white box,” foregrounding climate-responsive design, regional identity, and the conservation of experimental modern architecture. Through panels on “Modernism in the Sun,” case studies like Marcel Breuer’s precast facades and Sim Van der Ryn’s Gregory Bateson Building, and tours of works by Paul R. Williams, Charles Moore, and other California innovators, the conference highlighted “Multiple Moderns” shaped by local histories, materials, and communities—and the complex challenges of preserving them for the future.
Discover how Docomomo US/NOCA made 2025 a landmark year for modern architecture advocacy in Northern California, from defending Vaillancourt Fountain and shaping preservation policy to hosting tours, talks, and grants that engaged new audiences in the legacy of modernism.
Tour Day is the only national program of its kind, devoted to the appreciation of modern architecture in the United States. Tours and events focused on Modern Movement buildings and landscapes are hosted throughout October by Docomomo US chapters, partners, and local preservation advocates across the country.
The Northern California (NOCA) Chapter of Docomomo US is pleased to announce Luke Leuschner as the recipient of the 2025 Docomomo US/NOCA Symposium Travel Grant.
Join Docomomo US/Northern California for a 90-minute walking tour of architect John Carl Warnecke’s 1963 College of San Mateo’s College Heights campus, led by Josh Weinberg, author of a recent feature article on the school.
At SFMOMA through Summer 2026
Writing functions not only as language, but also as a visual and even tactile form. Famed artist and educator Josef Albers imparted this idea to his students at Black Mountain College, a former liberal arts school in North Carolina, where artist Ray Johnson studied from 1945 to 1948. In an exercise called “typofacture,” Albers asked students in his design course to create drawings mimicking printed or handwritten text. After observing textures on surfaces — like speckles on a wall or patterns in a raked garden path — they applied the concept to printed text, which bears the imprint of its production, whether by hand or machine. This activity left a lasting impression on Johnson, a future collage and correspondence artist, whose works (like Paul Klee’s) frequently combine text and representations.
September marks the 50th anniversary of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's Running Fence project. The installation stretched 24.5 miles across 59 properties in Sonoma and Marin Counties, before descending to the Pacific Ocean. To celebrate the anniversary, the Museum of Sonoma County will host an exhibition, Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Running Fence at 50 Years, on view from June 27 through Nov. 8, 2026.
![Warnecke’s 1963 New Formalist Vision: College of San Mateo [Waking Tour]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c806e5734c4e2faa1db54c9/268f9bbf-82e5-405c-9a67-8dc3644a90ca/College+of+San+Mateo+-+Josh+Weinberg-3.jpg.png)
