THEORY-2015

Old VS New : Adapt, Transform and Reuse

Old or New? The old and new reveals on everything, life or dead. People always argue about how important is the old that built the foundation for everything new to stand and develop firmly. Its not about how the old should be reserved totally or how the new should be developed and demolished the old totally, its about to achieve a balance, a maximum harmony and an equilibrium state where the old and new is 'adapted, transformed and reused' for each other. 

Why don't we just side to either old or new? Let's have an example of a imagination island, where the island have trees, chickens, fish, and a survivor. What if the survivor eat the chicken and fish for survive without control? The chicken and fish will end up being finish eating by the survivor. What if the survivors used the tree to build up a new shelter and to make fire? The trees maybe disappear from the island. Then, what will happen to the survivor? It is clearly seen that the survivor will be dying soon after all the resources is used up. In this example, the chicken and fish is to represent the old which is adapted to the island with tree which is the environment, and the survivor as the new which destroyed every balance found existed on the island.

 

The old Dionysus Greek Theater which blend with the nature?

(The old architecture which always respect the environment and the materials is locally available)

The modern Wuxi Grand theater without green?

(The new architecture which is so eye catchy but destroyed every natural things on site to be iconic) 

The Esplanade Theater which blend the new design into the nature environment and keeping the old architectures around?

To keep the old which to stop the development or to build the new which to demolish the old is much simpler than adapting both the old and new into the environment, it is as complex as we need to think about how the old design language can communicate with the new, how to blend and build the structure without or minimize to the maximum of the impact to the natural built environment, to consider the future trend, to full fill people's needs, to generate income for a country and so on.

A building have a lot of potential and direction, it is not about how it used to be, but how it may be, should be and can be. 

Sekeping Kong Heng is the best example to show how to adaptive reuse building where this old abandon old buildings in Ipoh, Malaysia was not demolished or hacked down but to be repurposed into a new use which is becoming a boutique hotel which become a landmark for Ipoh.

Look at how the architect of the Sekeping Kong Heng hotel, Ng Sek San respect the past while embracing the future to combine the use of new precast light concrete wall and clear glass with the exposed old (still in good condition) structures. Even the green is properly planned and kept as part of the living spirit of this place.

The action of trying of blending the new into the old also encourage the people to keep and deliver the history, memory and spirit of the origin of a city or town to the future generation. There is another idea where the facade and most part of the buildings was kept and remain and the others was demolished, and then reuse the building materials to redesign a new space within the others buildings which applied the same design concept. Besides, Juxtaposition is also workable to fit the new buildings on, beside or within the old without blending the design language but having with a harmony and peace relationship with one another and the environment.

The Royal Ontario Museum Crystal Building which over outstanding than the old building it attached or parasite on but yet did not harm any part of the existing building structure and the built environment.

Old an new are coexisted, without the new, there is nothing can be defined as old, and there will be no changes to be realized what we have done to the built environment; without the old, there will be no new and no new changes or future that we were and are always wanted to achieve and to create. Therefore adaption of old into new or vice versa and blend with the nature built environment is needed to maintain a city with soul, spirit, potential, energy and life.