Rescue and Reuse

Preface

Any survey of the care and reuse of historic buildings during the last half century is bound to be both a celebration and a lament. As a past president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Lionel Brett wrote:

It is debatable whether the use of one’s eyes in a modern English city is, on balance, a source of pleasure or pain.

He might have added that many cities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are likely to prompt similarly mixed feelings.

Our response to the continuing erosion of our historic villages, towns and cities can be one of resignation, with the all-too-easy inclination to blame central and local government. Yet there are constructive and braver alternatives. The case studies in this book set out ...