October 1, 2025–March 28, 2026
New Canaan CT 06840
USA
The Onera Foundation, dedicated to the preservation of historic American architecture, will open an exhibition space in New Canaan, Connecticut, on October 1, 2025, to present art and architecture exhibitions, lectures, and panel discussions that explore creative approaches to preservation.
The Foundation’s new home—a landmark building listed on the National Register of Historic Places located steps from the New Canaan train station—will open during October4design, New Canaan’s annual festival of art, architecture, and design.
To inaugurate the space, the Onera Foundation will present Treaties on De-Fences, a major exhibition by Jorge Otero-Pailos exploring the preservation of the Saarinen-designed US Embassy in Oslo, along with an architecture exhibition on the modern embassies designed during the Cold War. The Onera Foundation will also host two related public programs:
Eero Saarinen’s Legacy Abroad
Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 5:30pm–7:30pm
This panel discussion will explore Saarinen’s contributions to design innovation and his legacy abroad, most notably the two embassies Saarinen designed in London and Oslo as part of the initiative known as the US Embassy Program. The panel will also address the afterlives of these modernist embassies, which have been decommissioned in recent years. Speakers include Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen, Assistant Dean at Yale School of Architecture, and author of Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future; David B. Peterson, Founder of the Onera Foundation, and author of US Embassies of the Cold War; and Jorge Otero-Pailos, Artist, Preservation Architect, and Director of the Historic Preservation Program at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP).
The Harvard Five Legacy: From Modern Homes to Diplomatic Landmarks
Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 5:30–7:30pm
Presented in collaboration with The Glass House, this panel discussion will explore the profound influence of the Harvard Five—particularly Marcel Breuer and John Johansen—tracing their evolution from designing experimental modern homes in New Canaan to creating visionary US embassies during the Cold War. The discussion will highlight how these innovative domestic designs, which introduced a new way of living, laid the foundation for an architectural language that promoted cultural and diplomatic exchange in the post–World War II era—an initiative known as the US Embassy Program. The panel will also address the growing urgency to preserve these embassies as enduring landmarks of mid-century modernism.
Moderated by Kirsten Reoch, Executive Director of The Glass House, the conversation will include Barry Bergdoll, Architectural Historian, Meyer Schapiro Professor of Art History, Department of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University; David B. Peterson, Founder of the Onera Foundation, and author of US Embassies of the Cold War; Devon Chivvis, Filmmaker, Director of The Harvard 5 Documentary; and Jorge Otero-Pailos, Artist, Preservation Architect, and Director of the Historic Preservation Program at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP).
Space is limited and advanced registration is required.
