Renewing Modernism: emerging principles for practice: Fid-Bau Portal

Renewing Modernism: emerging principles for practice

Rich, Geoff

The repair and environmental enhancement of Modern movement buildings often presents different conservation and design challenges to those faced with older buildings of cultural or historic significance, (for example: light weight construction, replaceable fabric technology, and of course a closer proximity to the original building’s architects and their design philosophies – some of whom are still alive). So how do the fates of these buildings map out when new commercial or operational pressures come to bear, and what challenges are presented in the practical requirement to ‘preserve and enhance’ their significance in phases of comprehensive refurbishment and design?

This paper introduces a perspective on two recent case study projects in the UK – the refurbishment of Southbank Centre, London, and the Students’ Union Building of the University of Bristol. The two buildings have varying levels of architectural and historic merit: the Southbank Centre being part of a group of Modern movement buildings of national importance, whilst the Bristol building is a good Modern building of more local significance. However both are the subject of comprehensive refurbishment projects where philosophies for conservation and environmental improvement have been carefully combined.