As a natural outcome of continuous change London heritage buildings have long been subject to the conflict of development and preservation. Facadism stands at the centre of this tension, as it raises interesting questions of existing preservation policy.
Do current applications remain superficial by focusing on merely the surface significance to satisfy certain preservation requirements? And if so, is it possible to find more integrating design strategies when dealing with historic facades and develop a more spatial approach? How can such strategies challenge conventional preservation schemes?
The project aims to explore these questions through reinterpretation of pot mending technique in Kintsugi, by breaking then repairing the existing and new facades. With this concept, a series of design strategies are proposed for embodying the old and new. The focus is primarily on the apertures and their interaction on facade surfaces, yet further extends to three dimensions as the project looks into spatial allocation and layering of the fragments. Thus, it also addresses the potential of spaces left in between facades.
Kintsugi pot mending is an ancient Japanese technique for xing broken pieces of pottery with gold, silver or platinum seam, where the breakage of the pot and the remending processes become visible. In modern applications of this technique different pieces from different broken pots are mended to further embrace the incompleteness and diversity of the new piece.
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The project concept is formed through reinterpretation of Kintsugi pot mending technique on facades. The new facades and the existing facades are broken into fragments and apertures, to be remended.
Broken warehouse facade
Broken residence facade
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As a response to the existing conservation strategies, three alternative policies are formed particularly for facade retention. The application of the policies reveals new readings of the city, not only through the constant accumulation of development and conservation layers on the facades, but also through the night and day shift.
Existing Facades
1.0 the street-front facades of the existing building on the site are preserved as a whole;
1.1 the apertures of the existing facades, including windows, doors, garage/depot entrances, and shop displays—
(i) are completely closed,
where the existing building was constructed within the last 20 years;
(ii)are preserved as open,
where the existing building was constructed before the last 20 years;
1.2 new apertures are located and represented on the preserved facades, irrespective of previous aperture positions.
(i)
(ii)
Demolished Facades
2.0 the development has the written approval of the local planning authority;
2.1 the apertures on the street front facades of the demolished building are located and presented on the street front facades of the new development;
2.2 the condition described in paragraph (b) should—
(i) succeed submission of accurate drawings by the developer, showing precisely the allocation of all of the planned apertures;
(ii) preserve the location and depth of the apertures referred in paragraph (b).
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Partially Demolished Facades
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3.0 the remains of the street front facades on the site are preserved as a whole;
3.1 any apertures or parts of apertures on the remains are preserved as open;
3.2 street-front facades of the new developments are constructed—
(i) by filling the available spaces in between the remains described at paragraph (a);
(ii) without exceeding the limits of the remains towards the street and/or side walk;
3.3 where apertures of the new development, interfere and/or overlap with the remains—
(i) the overlapping apertures or parts of apertures are represented on the remains.
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The application of the policies 1 and 2 in urban scale propose a new reading of the city through an overlay of facades while allowing for retention and development by ghosting adding a new layer of "memory".
Especially the application of the policies 1 and 2 in an urban scale proposes a new reading of the city through an overlay of facades. It also various layers of ‘memory’ as the demolished or lost building facades are revived through their apertures on the new developments.
Aperture extraction
Demolished facade
Application of policy 2
Through a series of studies on a multi-layered model, further applications of mending technique and the potentials of the ghosting, especially in policies 1 and 2, are interrogated.
Photo Series 3
Photo Series 1
3d paper collage
Studies for Photo Series 1
final photo from the series
drawing from the photo
drawing from the photo
final photo from the series
Studies for Photo Series 2
3d paper collage
Photo Series 2
3d paper collage
Studies for Photo Series 3
final photo from the series
drawing from the photo
