2026 James Marston Fitch Colloquium

This event is co-organized by the Columbia GSAPP Preservation Program and the MoMA Department of Architecture and Design

FRIDAY OCTOBER 2, 2026, 1:30PM to 6PM

Wood Auditorium, Avery Hall, Columbia University

Reception 6PM-7PM

The 2026 Fitch Colloquium, Preserving Independence, explores contemporary preservation practices in western Africa and the ways they have grappled with the architectural and cultural legacies of independence and decolonization. Taking place during the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States, the colloquium uses this occasion to broaden contemporary reflections on independence by foregrounding the role of architectural preservation in shaping the collective memory of independence in western Africa. Over the past few years, preservationists, architects, archaeologists, and cultural institutions across the region have started to confront complex questions regarding the preservation of buildings, monuments, landscapes, and sites associated with independence movements and postcolonial nation building. Their work has involved not only the preservation of colonial heritage, but also the recognition and reinterpretation of modern and brutalist buildings constructed during the era of independence as emblems of national identity, political aspiration, and cultural self-determination.

Organized in conjunction with MoMA’s exhibition on western African architecture, the colloquium brings together preservationists, architects, historians, planners, archaeologists, curators, and cultural leaders to reflect on the past, present, and future of preservation in western Africa.

For more information and the event schedule, please visit the GSAPP event page.

This event is free and open to the public.

Columbia University campus access is restricted to Columbia affiliates (with a valid CUID) and to pre-approved guests. To attend this event at GSAPP, please register by September 30th to request campus access and bring your ID. about the current Columbia campus access.