Facadism is often criticized for its awkward juxtapositions, but here are eight of the nicest facadist renovations from around the world, according to Stephen Smith.
Whether you regard facadism (the act of retaining old building facades, while replacing other portions of a historic building with new construction) as a pejorative or a positive, there is no question that architects around the world are creating interesting mash-ups (or Frankensteins) of historic and contemporary buildings.
According to Smith, "The style is often reviled by architects and design critics as only a superficially preservation of the past, and many facadist buildings are rightly criticized for their random juxtapositions and out-of-scale pieces. The style aims to strike a balance between redevelopment pressures and architectural preservation, and while developers are often pleased with the sky-high rents they can charge for rehabilitated historical structures, preservationists are often left satisfied with the small sliver left behind."
I'm not sure if this counts, but for a ninth example, I would add a personal favorite, the Porter House in Manhattan by SHoP Architects.
Thanks to Stephen Smith
FULL STORY: Top 8 Facadist Renovations, from Melbourne to Bucharest
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