ABSTRACT
From the Bauhaus Building in Dessau to the Guggenheim Museum in New York, recent conservation projects demonstrate that institutions are recognising the heritage value of their important modern buildings and are investing in maintenance and repair to ensure longevity. But is this necessarily the case beyond the metropole? This chapter considers the situation in one of the countries not generally described as a major player in the international discourse on modern heritage: New Zealand. It shows that New Zealand is a reluctant follower in recognising its modern heritage: modern buildings are under represented on heritage lists; and even when such buildings are listed, their listings seem to be taken less seriously than those of their older, and more obviously historic, counterparts. Thus the modern buildings are vulnerable, with demolitions a regular occurrence. In this climate, what can be learnt from past losses, and indeed from past successes?
