The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced its nominations for 2019 additions to its World Heritage List last month. For a nominated site to be selected, the World Heritage Committee must deem a nomination should be of “outstanding universal value” and “meet at least one out of 10 selection criteria” listed on the World Heritage Centre’s Website.
This year’s list of nominations includes a serial nomination of eight Frank Lloyd Wright–designed buildings in the U.S. The selection spans 50 years of Wright’s career and is comprised of Fallingwater in Mill Run, Penn.; the Frederick C. Robie House in Chicago; the Herbert and Katherine Jacobs House in Madison, Wis.; Hollyhock House in Los Angeles; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York; Taliesin in Spring Green, Wis.; Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Unity Temple in Oak Park, Ill. The selection was submitted by the National Park Service in November 2018 and will be officially reviewed by the World Heritage Committee in July 2019.
A selection of 11 Wright projects was originally submitted in 2008, but was then pared down by the International Council on Monuments and Sites to 10 projects for consideration in 2016. It has been revised again to comply with the World Heritage Committee’s requests following its rejection in 2016.
Flickr user Cyril Rebetez via Creative Commons License
Hollyhock House, Los Angeles
Another nominee is the Palace of Mafra in Portugal designed in the 18th century for King João V by German architect João Frederico Ludovice. The 406,768-square-foot palace is constructed entirely of limestone and marble and is considered “the most important Baroque monument in Portugal.”
Joaquim Alves Gaspar via a Creative Commons License
Palace of Mafra, Portugal
Jaipur, India is also nominated for a spot on the list. The city was planned by Bengali architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya in the 18th century based on Shilpa Shastra, the Hindu system of architecture which considers how the laws of nature affect human health and prosperity. Apart from its iron grid urban planning system, the city also boasts historical architectural landmarks and palaces all painted pink, and is enclosed by pink protective walls, earning it the nickname the “Pink City.” While the it is deeply rooted in tradition, it is also rapidly modernizing with projects by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Balkrishna Doshi, Hon. FAIA, of Ahmedabad, India–based Vastushilpa Consultants, and New Delhi–based firm Morphogenesis.
Alexander Savin via a Creative Commons License
City Palace, Jaipur, India
The current official list of sites already voted on includes a serial property of 17 projects across seven countries designed by Le Corbusier inscribed in 2016 and the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens in Melbourne, Australia, designed by Joseph Reed of Reed & Barnes in the 19th century inscribed in 2004.
Visit the World Heritage Centre for a full list of nominations and an official list of approved sites.
