OLD VS NEW (THEORIES LECTURE 2)

Based on a point from the lecture, rather than demolishing old buildings and turning them into museums, it is better to reuse them for better purposes. Apart from preserving the historical values, old buildings attract majorities like entrepreneurs, property agents and stakeholders due to the building’s culture and complexity, providing a sense of permanency and heritage. People are curious and eager to see how amazing it is to a transform from an old abandoned building to a café or a hotel. Therefore, a site consist of older buildings always possess higher investment value compared to a site with modernized buildings. This can be seen where many businesses opt to look for old buildings and convert them into offices, retail shops, merchandise, homestays and lofts by preserving the original features and structures of the buildings.

In contrary, adding more new constructions and even green buildings would not improve the environment if the earth is contaminated with infinity buildings and endless constructions. This matter will sooner or later lead to global warming and destruction of the mother earth apart from pollution. New constructions are necessary to meet the needs of the city development. However, we need to think of how it is possible to create architecture that incorporates historical styles and experiments with the new ones to contribute a little help in order to balance the ecosystem. Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings; new ideas must start with old buildings; as once said by Steven Johnson.

Old and new buildings should intertwine to be in a visual harmony. The addition of the new building should not only function as a conceptual form of modernization but more to keeping up with the historic character like repeating the design form, materials, features and details as a new addition. Although an existing old building is so old and redundant where it is beyond restoration, it may still be worth to retain certain features and structures to provide consistency with the surrounding buildings. This will not only preserve the building but it creates a concept and value to the entire city that links to the building itself. For example, Haworth Tompkins Architects adapted a music campus at Snape Maltings by inserting a prefabricated Cor-ten steel shell inside the existing walls to provide a new purpose for the building while preserving the existing structures and its surroundings.

An addition of a new building should only be considered only after it is more than beyond restoration until it causes risk to the public health and safety. The addition of both old and new building should not be mixed completely so that the new generation is not confused with what and which is genuine part of the past. However, precedent studies should be taken into consideration for the context of the work including the building’s historical background, significance to society and purpose of the new additions. The new generation often seeks for something new and different. Therefore, a combination of both old and new architecture would be a good future plan for the industry. With this ideology and concept, people can get to enjoy living in the modern and at the same time, appreciate the hidden historical values that they might not even aware of.