ABSTRACT
Dr. Milka T. Bliznakov founded the International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA) in 1985. At the time, Bliznakov recognized the magnitude of the void in the written history of architecture that needed to be filled—women’s contributions to the discipline were virtually absent. The collection and preservation of women’s works in an archive became therefore crucial to balancing history. The original papers, projects, photographs, correspondence, and artifacts in a collection are the necessary fragments that spark the curiosity and imagination of the researcher and fuel the process of history writing.
While offering an overview of the archive, its goals, and its mission, this chapter uncovers fascinating latent narratives in the IAWA collections and focuses on the ongoing project 30 x 30, a multistory digital exhibit that reveals them. Providing an immersive space of contemplation and reflection, 30 x 30 invites viewers to an architectural experience of the work of women from the archive. Aspiring to promote women’s achievements, foster research, and broadcast the IAWA globally as a safe repository for original papers and artifacts, 30 x 30 brings to light unknown records of the practice of women and, in doing so, continues to expand their legacy.
