Romantic Modernism: Nostalgia in the World of Conservation - Brossura

Denslagen, Wim

Brossura

ISBN 10: 9089641033 ISBN 13: 9789089641038

Casa editrice: Amsterdam Univ Pr, 2009

Riassunto

In the world of architectural conservation, there is little tolerance for reconstructing or even protecting historic facades when everything behind is modern, and even less for reconstructing a building that has been completely destroyed. These offenses are considered lies against history. In this thoughtful, revealing work, conservation expert Wim Denslagen traces this predilection for honesty to the legacy of Functionalism, a Romantic-era movement that denounced the building of pseudo-architecture in favor of a new, rational form of building. With detailed analyses of headline-making restoration projects from Bruges to Berlin, Denslagen shows that the adoption of these romantic values by conservationists gave rise to a new wave of modern additions and transformations.

Su questo libro

L'autore:

Wim Denslagen is professor of the history and theory of conservation at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

Dalla quarta di copertina:

Is it possible for conservationists to approve of the reconstruction of old façades when virtually everything behind them is modern? Should they continue to protect the front façade, when the rest of the historic building has vanished? Is it socially responsible to spend government money on reconstructing a historic building that has been completely destroyed? Can one do such a thing fifty years on?
According to reigning ideas in the world of conservation, the answer to all these questions is no. It is felt that building a stage set is dishonest, and rebuilding something that no longer exists is labelled a lie against history. Where does this predilection for honesty originate? And why do people prefer modern architecture to the reconstruction of what has been lost? Perhaps we are witnessing the legacy of Functionalism here, a movement that denounced the building of pseudo-architecture. Functionalism originated in Romanticism, when architects turned their backs on academic formalism and strove to invent a new, rational form of building. This romantic hunger for honesty was adopted by the conservationists, giving rise to a new respect for the authentic art work and a rejection of historicist restorations. Among conservationists too, distaste arose for the cultivation of a harmonious urban image, because an urban image that is maintained artificially old was seen as a form of fraud.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Amsterdam Univ Pr
• Data di pubblicazione: 2009
• ISBN 10: 9089641033
• ISBN 13: 9789089641038
• Rilegatura: Copertina flessibile
• Numero edizione: 1
• Numero di pagine: 261