Architectural Record Annual 2006/2

Author: Zhao Chen, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Architectural Record Annual is a magnificent series jointly launched by the China Architecture & Building Press and McGraw-Hill Construction Information Company of the United States, offering readers a collection of exquisite publications. This is the second volume for 2006. Through engaging real-life examples, it tells readers about how several foreign architects have balanced historical traditions with contemporary needs during the renovation of historical buildings. It also reports on some domestic projects that have transformed old buildings, highlighting that during China's large-scale construction period driven by economic development, governments, developers, architects, and ordinary citizens should pay more attention to and strengthen the proper protection and renovation of valuable historical buildings. Preservation does not mean rejecting change. To acquire a new function, a building must inevitably undergo certain architectural interventions. These interventions may be subtle, like buried pipes and wires in the walls, or bold, becoming a new landmark of the building. The works introduced in this issue mostly belong to the latter category, establishing a dialogue between the old and the new. They do not deliberately mimic the original forms and materials to conceal modifications to the original structure but instead emphasize the transition from one era to another. The Santa Caterina Market, the Art Center Design Academy, and the Oriental Hotel are excellent examples. SOM's Leshan Tower is an exception. Because they knew they were facing a milestone of modernist architecture. Thus, the architects passionately restored the building's curtain wall, making it almost identical to its original appearance when it first gained critical acclaim in 1952.