Schiller observed that aesthetics can be as effective as ethics in bringing societies together but the struggle to translate a nation’s cultural heritage into a contemporary language can be fraught with pitfalls. Certainly, as society’s needs change then our day-to-day requirements start to fluctuate. Our buildings should reflect this evolutionary process and the architect is perhaps best placed to achieve our live/work ideal. This often entails the adaptation of our existing buildings to render them ‘fit for purpose’. This may involve an ‘intervention’ into the existing fabric and can vary in scale from the addition of a modest handrail to partial demolition and façade retention. Any architect wrestling with the delicate matter of building within an historic setting needs to understand and appreciate the sense of place but should buildings blend into the background or assert themselves with some confidence?

Architecture is beset by compromise – usually to ensure a ‘best fit’ solution but if conservation strictures become too dogmatic, a city can begin to stagnate and become little more than a moribund ‘urban museum’. Cities need to cherish what is valuable from the past but well-considered contemporary interventions are crucial to the sustainability of any dynamic city.

New Design in Heritage Settings