Modern architecture and the threats facing those buildings in Ann Arbor, the state and the country are the focus of an exhibition that opens Wednesday.

The University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning will host the Modernism at Risk/Michigan Matters exhibition with the World Monuments Fund at the Liberty Annex, 305 W. Liberty St. The exhibit runs from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday and is open from noon until 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday until April 20.

Greg Saldana, a college faculty member and the curator of the exhibit, said he hopes to highlight the beauty of modern architecture while educating visitors about the threats these buildings face. He said Ann Arbor has rich background of modern buildings.

“There’s a predominant group of traditional buildings, mostly domestic dwellings, but there’s a very strong legacy of modern architecture,” he said. “It’s representative of a very creative community that’s engaged in modern principles of light, air and healthy living.”

The World Monuments Fund exhibit will show large-scale photographs and interpretive panels of five buildings that are being preserved and celebrated.

Saldana said he agreed to host the fund’s exhibit on the condition that he would be able to hold a similar event in conjunction with the exhibit, highlighting some modern structures in the state of Michigan.

That exhibit, called Michigan Matters, will feature photographs and drawings of buildings such as the Ford Glass Plant, the Saarinen House and Cranbrook Art Museum, Lafayette Park Low-Rise Buildings and Pavilion Apartments, Great Lakes Region Reynolds Headquarters and St. Francis de Sales Church.

“The state of Michigan is host to a number of very important works of modern architecture,” Saldana said.

The Liberty Annex, which is leased by the university for use by the Taubman College, was chosen to host the exhibit because of its appeal to architects.

Linda Mills, the budget and administrative services director for the college, said students and faculty do a lot of research at the building because of the windows that allow for natural light to flood the building and high ceilings that allow larger-scale models of buildings to be built.

“The most obvious reason is because it has windows,” Mills said with a laugh. “Architects like windows.”

Speakers at the event include Monica Ponce de Leon, dean of the Taubman college; Henry Ng, executive vice president of the World Monuments Fund; David Bright, senior vice president of communications at Knoll, the monument funds’ founding sponsor; Brian Conway, Michigan State Historic Preservation Officer and Saldana.

The exhibit has given students at the college an opportunity to engage modern architecture in a new way, Saldana said.

“The exhibition is providing an opportunity for students to engage the modern built environment,” he said. “They can look at drawings, look at photographs. They’ve helped coordinate the exhibition to get a better understanding of the built environment and with the support of the World Monuments Fund, they’re also bringing their own message of the importance of saving modern architecture.”

Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.