Old Buildings, New Designs: Architectural Transformations
By Charles Bloszies, AIA
Princeton Architectural Press, 2011

Review by Maxinne Rhea Leighton, Associate AIA

Back in the day, after the demise of Penn Station, historic preservation was birthed in America and became both a powerful movement and an ongoing force in architecture. The restoration of historic buildings, as opposed to the mindset of urban renewal, had — and continues to have — a regenerative impact in our built environment.

With the passage of time more architects began to not only develop a profound interest in preservation, but also in the design of additions to existing historic structures. Aesthetic debates about what was considered appropriate ensued and began to shift the conversation about preservation to the lexicon of design where it belonged — to preserve was as much about design as a building from the ground up — cradle to grave. This is where Charles Bloszies’ Old Building, New Designs: Architectural Transformations, begins — with 19 insightful case studies of exciting design that juxtapose old and new.

Bloszies does not romanticize the design solutions he illustrates. As a prelude, he talks about the financial pressures, balancing the needs of the stakeholders, and unforeseen conditions in construction as just some of the challenges facing designers. He cleverly illustrates the projects in “three degrees of contrast: extreme, restrained, and referential that rangs from the Hutong Bubble 32, MAD Architects, Beijing, China (extreme contrast), to Renzo Piano Building Workshop’s addition to the Morgan Library & Museum, New York (restrained contrast).

There is masterful rigor in all of the case studies. Perhaps most exciting is that those on the front lines of preservation, who fought so hard to grow and maintain a movement, can now proudly step forward and celebrate its evolution.