Shared communities and treasured buildings often exist as a blurred stage set behind our bustling modern lives. We take for granted the built environment that shapes and defines us. If this environment were swept entirely under the current, what would become of humanity? We need people like Fabio Grementieri, the 2009 Henry Hope Reed Award recipient, to ensure the survival of our built cultural heritage.
The Henry Hope Reed Award exists to honor those people – other than architects and designers – who influence and support the classical architecture movement. This heritage, if it is to survive and flourish, depends on the involvement of diverse fields and communities. Economics, geography, sociology, philosophy, ecology, religion, technology, development, preservation, writing, and education all play their part.
Fabio Grementieri is an Argentine scholar and preservationist. His education began at the University of Buenos Aires, where he studied architecture and historic preservation. This collaboration between design and preservation is woven throughout Mr. Grementieri's career. He serves both as a partner of the architectural practice Baez-Carena-Grementieri and as Director of the Preservation Program at Universidad Torcuato Di Tella. His role in the survival and flourishing of Buenos Aires' cultural heritage is critical. For more than ten years, Mr. Grementieri has dedicated his life to preserving some of Argentina's most significant architectural treasures. The Palacio Bosch – which serves as the United States Embassy, Errázuriz Palace, Pereda Palace, and Villa Ocampo are prominent preservation projects Mr. Grementieri has directed as project manager. His preservation efforts, too numerous to list here, reach far and wide. Today, his passion is largely directed toward steering a campaign for the preservation of world-renowned opera house, Teatro Colón. Additionally, Grementieri and co-author Pablo Zunino will release a new book this week, Argentina's Cultural and National Heritage – The Bicentennial's Album.
A man who does not take his community and architectural heritage for granted, Fabio Grementieri is a deserving recipient of the 2009 Henry Hope Reed Award. More importantly, Mr. Grementieri serves as an inspiration to all those who comprehend the critical importance of cherishing our built environment.
Crystal Olin
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