Generally speaking, historic buildings have some sort of connection to a past historical event or period. They can also be deemed significant for their architectural integrity or design.
When new construction options run out, developers and designers turn to reviving old structures. These designs creatively incorporate the history of a city into new, modern destinations.
1. Logan Certified
Amid the many challenges that come with preserving historic buildings, some designers are finding innovative solutions. Instead of demolishing a building that has fallen into disrepair or abandonment, they are renovating it to meet the needs of contemporary use and highlighting its history in the process. Cracks in stone manors are filled with glass, elegant Parisian facades are remade in stark concrete and rusted steel volumes are lowered right into the empty shell of a crumbling brick house—all without hiding or disguising their signs of wear.
Matt Nardella, principal at Chicago-based design firm moss Design Studio, transformed an abandoned bodega on a corner in Chicago into a complex that includes his workspace and showroom, his home and a small rental apartment. The new building is arranged around a central courtyard that provides ample light and privacy for the residents. The roof was designed by determining the optimum solar angle around the summer solstice, giving the new structure its distinctive silhouette and shape.
When converting the Ogden Exchange into the event space The Monarch, Fischer-Ragan Enterprises was mindful of the building’s historic architecture and character. In the end, the team succeeded in turning the run-down building into a thriving creative district that features art studios, retail and large event spaces, all while preserving its industrial architecture.
2. McDonough School 30
The McDonough School of Business understands the critical intersection of business, government and international relations. Its students and faculty work with the world's leading organizations to unleash innovation, conduct groundbreaking research, and tackle global issues of commerce.
Located in the global capital of Washington, DC, Georgetown McDonough's distinctive programs and scholarship reflect its deep Georgetown identity and Jesuit values. The school is home to approximately 1,400 undergraduate and MBA students, plus 700 participants in Custom Executive Education programs. Its 104 full-time faculty members teach courses and help staff the school's nine research centers and initiatives, which investigate topics from global social enterprise to financial markets and policy.
The new McDonough School 30 looks worlds apart from the building that neighbors remember, when floors sagged and teachers complained of mildew, and pigeons roosted in the windows. The design by Rome Office took an additive approach to adaptive re-use, preserving the exterior while creating sleek apartments inside. To do so, they inserted nuanced "Boxes-for-Living" into the former classrooms—adding facilities like kitchens and bathrooms without removing external walls or altering the historic details. A centralized, minimalist "box" also contains a utility closet and a lofted bonus room. Subscribe to Dwell+ to get everything you already love about Dwell, plus exclusive home tours, video features, how-to guides, access to the Dwell archive and more.
3. Constructions Boivin
A Quebec family business, Constructions Boivin is led by a father and son team who bring a passion for quality to each project. Their mission is to execute aesthetically superior living environments. Their work has garnered them an international reputation as experts in residential and commercial construction.
The study of late medieval architecture and art has shifted its focus to the concept of a planned artistic environment. Katherine M. Boivin investigates this idea through a case study of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries. Her focus is not on one individual chapel or building, but rather a series of public spaces that were connected by a network of relationships between patrons, architects, and artists, and how their sculptural works shared a common visual character.
Although not an absolute model for future practice, Boivin's research should serve as a guide for how new architectural design can be informed by the materials, proportions, and human scale of historic buildings without simply mimicking them. Her work is a valuable complement to Daniel Libeskind's startling addition to the Military History Museum in Dresden, Germany, which has become a symbol of how a contemporary sensibility can be productively engaged with an existing classical building.
4. The Dovecote Studio
The Dovecote Studio is an example of how even buildings deemed to be too damaged to save can be saved with a little creative thinking. Designed by Haworth Tompkins for the renowned music campus at Snape Maltings, the studio was inserted into one of the site's most sensitive structures, the ruined brick dovecote overlooking the marshes. The new Cor-ten steel structure reads as a separate form within the original envelope but compliments it with its own rust-red color. The studio was prefabricated and craned into the ruin, a process that required precise co-ordination between the design team and fabricators.
Art has been an important part of the Snape Maltings experience since it was founded by Benjamin Britten in abandoned industrial buildings on the Suffolk coast. The Dovecote Studio adds a visual component to the campus, with a small interior writing platform that offers views out to the marshes and sea.
Many of the projects featured here rework historic buildings to fit modern use without losing their character or charm. From a century-old church turned into multifamily units to an adaptive reuse of an auto body shop that became a cannabis dispensary, these 13 examples show how to keep old buildings alive through thoughtful, creative renovations.
5. The High Line
The High Line is a spectacularly beautiful elevated park that sits between three of Manhattan’s lively neighborhoods – the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen. The 1.5-mile long park was designed by James Corner Field Operations and Piet Oudolf and is an interpretation of the melancholic beauty of the abandoned railway, where nature reclaimed this piece of obsolete infrastructure.
The linear park is a place for both exploration and relaxation. There are shady spots, winding pathways, and open spaces where you can take in the views of the city below and the plants lining the pathway. The High Line is also home to world-class public art, which is on display 365 days a year.
The High Line opened in 2009 and has become an icon of contemporary landscape architecture. It has inspired cities across the United States to rethink and repurpose their own outdated infrastructure into public spaces. The High Line stretches through three of Manhattan’s most vibrant neighborhoods, with a total of 41 blocks of the former rail lines being transformed into the new public park. The High Line is part of the city’s park system and it’s free to visit.
6. Bury St. Edmunds Utility Building
One of the more recent historic buildings creatively redesigned is this 100-year-old utility building in Bury St Edmunds, England. Owner Sandy Suffield worked closely with architect Michael Corsar to save many of the original elements, such as the brickwork and ceiling rafters, while updating and gently expanding the footprint of the building. The finished result is a gorgeous modern home that seamlessly blends with its historic surroundings.
When the medieval king of East Anglia, Edmund, died in 869, his remains were enshrined at the large and impressive monastery at Bury St Edmunds. It was one of the biggest monasteries in England and soon became a popular pilgrimage destination.
In the 14th century, it was sacked twice. The second time was during the Peasants’ Revolt in 1381 when rebels tracked down the prior and decapitated him. The abbey remained a target when the war of the roses broke out in 1535 and Henry VIII’s chief minister Thomas Cromwell sent commissioners to find reasons for its closure.
Choosing the right architect to work on your project is an important decision. It’s a highly technical and risky profession, so it’s essential to do your research and find an architect that has the right mix of creativity, expertise, and practicality. Look for an architect that is registered with professional bodies and has a track record of success. You should also check whether they are a member of the RIBA or ARB, which means that they must meet certain standards and practices.
7. The Empire Stores
Often, the tension between new and old is played out in the design of architectural landmarks. The best of them, like Mass MoCA by Bruner/Cott Architects and Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s High Line in NYC, create thrilling architecture out of complex negotiations with the past. Others, like Enric Miralles’ blanket wrap of the historic Santa Caterina market in Barcelona or Daniel Liebskind’s startling addition to the Military History Museum in Dresden, offer a more volatile alternative, terrifying defenders of heritage and delighting fans of “transgressive” contemporary architecture.
When Midtown Equities won the rights to redevelop a century-old complex of coffee warehouses along Brooklyn’s waterfront Brooklyn Bridge Park in 2013, the project was a linchpin for the park’s success—and a crucial test of its developers’ ability to connect the park’s global placemaking wisdom with local cultural legacy. The complex now hosts a thriving mix of retail, office space, and public spaces, with views looking across the river at the Manhattan skyline.
