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Contrast or Harmony: The Aesthetic of Modern Adaptations to Historic Buildings
As cities grow and evolve, the question of preserving, rehabilitating, or adapting historic sites arises. The intervention in such buildings requires a delicate balance between honoring their heritage and meeting contemporary demands. Often, the most innovative and radical solutions emerge when architects attempt to renew a building while maintaining its original footprint and as many features as possible. They then create modern extensions that either harmonize or contrast with the original structure. This approach not only revitalizes the building but also celebrates the synergy between the past and present, including materials, construction technology, architectural movements, stories, and overall building quality. The layering of both old and new elements through harmony or contrast requires an intelligent and sensitive approach that gives the building a unique aesthetic and a new meaning.
When adapting a historic building, it is crucial to determine what can be preserved and what needs to be renovated to ensure that the structure is functional, aesthetically balanced, and meets modern requirements. This process can be better understood from a theoretical foundation and specific principles that guide design adaptation.
According to Ilyanenko and Panteleeva, there are three main formal and compositional methods for integrating new buildings into a historical environment: symbiosis or merging the new structure with the historical surroundings, fitting or adapting the new structure to the environment, and contrast. The first two methods are similar, involving the incorporation of a new structure or part of a historical structure into the existing architectural composition in a way that complements the overall ensemble. However, due to the use of new technology, construction methods, and materials in modern adaptations, contrast is often unavoidable. The goal of these adapted designs is to either harmonize the contrast or embrace it to achieve synergy with the older structure.
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This act of harmonizing new structures with historical buildings involves exploring the correct height layers of buildings, preserving the character of the silhouette line, maintaining proportions and similarity of forms, and ensuring the rhythmic organization, nature, and scale of horizontal and vertical divisions. It also includes the drawing of architectural elements, as well as considering color and texture in the decoration.
Norman Foster demonstrated this approach in 1995 when reconstructing the old Reichstag building, which was originally built in the late 19th century in the neo-Renaissance style. The architect preserved the historical appearance of the Reichstag building while adding an ultramodern dome above it. The shape, size, and pattern of the dome were carefully designed to continue the existing ratios of the older building elements. Despite being a transparent structure made of glass and steel, which contrasts the solidity of the Reichstag’s stone walls, the form of the dome harmoniously fits with the ratio of elements in the building. The mullion pattern of the dome complements the horizontal and vertical divisions of the existing facade. Furthermore, from the interior, the ramps and conical funnel within the dome enhance and expand the volume of space for the existing parliament. The building, which symbolizes a united Berlin, exemplifies a harmonious aesthetic of modern adaptation to a historic structure.
When comparing it to a building like the Tate Modern Switch House, a well-designed adaptation can complement the materiality and contrast the building form to create a harmonious aesthetic with the historic building. The Extension, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, was part of the adaptation of the historic Bankside Power Station into a home for the UK’s collection of contemporary art. It features a twisted form that contrasts with the older building. However, by emulating the brick materiality of the older power station and applying it to every surface of the Switch House extension, a harmonious aesthetic is achieved, creating a complementary synergy between the character of the past building and the new one.
The 21st century has witnessed the emergence of design embracing the contrast in modern adaptations of historic buildings. This design approach aims to highlight the newly constructed elements by presenting them in a different scale, proportion, rhythm, materiality, and texture compared to the older structure. It aims to highlight the specific time when the new adaptation was conceived and emphasizes the technological advancements in building construction during that period, resulting in a visually striking structure.
In an article titled “The Method of Contrast of Modern Architecture in the Historical Environment of the City,” the author, Pronina, highlights the characteristics of radical contrasting adaptations. These include inclined supports, sloping sharp-angled or curved walls, and roofs that blur their traditional definitions, remarkably long consoles, unexpected cutouts or incorporations of unconventional shapes, the use of traditionally heavy materials (such as natural stone and ceramics) in the facing of unconventional building fragments, disregard for the concept of architectural scale, which challenges the perception of the building’s natural size, and the utilization of optical illusions. These techniques represent the basic arsenal of deconstructivism, creating a striking contrast with the familiar environment.
This method, nonetheless, creates synergy and balance in the structure by emphasizing two moments in time. A notable example is the reconstruction of the Military History Museum in Dresden, Germany. Originally built in the neoclassical style in the late 19th century, architect Libeskind introduced deconstructivist ideals by incorporating a new glass form that cuts through the historical building. This resulted in a contrasting architectural element that became a new part of the museum. According to Pronina, the classic facade of the historic building, known for its strict symmetry and harmonious proportions, was disrupted by a tapering five-story wedge of glass, metal, and concrete. The resulting architectural image prompts reflection on the destructive role of war in human history.
A similar approach can be seen in the Antwerp Port House, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. The project repurposes, renovates, and extends a derelict fire station to serve as the new headquarters for the port. In contrast to the existing rigidly symmetrical building, Zaha Hadid introduced invention, complexity, non-Euclidean geometry, and a new structure that rises above the classical one. The extension creates a contrast in terms of shape, form, pattern, materiality, and character. The interior space also reflects this contrast, as the functions of the new and old volumes are distinctly separated. Lifts further emphasize the feeling of two different buildings. The new volume “floats” above the old structure, respecting each of the old facades and adding a sense of verticality to the overall design, achieving synergy.
In the quest of creating modern adaptations of historic buildings, contrast will inevitably be present. The challenge lies in finding the balance between embracing this contrast in the design process or harmonizing it with the original structure. Combining architectural elements that may seem incompatible at first glance from a historical composition perspective is a challenging artistic task. The result of such a combination is perceived ambiguously and subjectively by different individuals.
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