Unloved Buildings

Many buildings from the late 20th century no longer meet today’s cultural, economic, and technical requirements. Yet, in times of climate change, global instability, and massive urbanisation, we cannot afford to waste what has already been built. Many of these structures fall outside traditional preservation efforts—they are too new for historic reverence, too unfashionable for contemporary appreciation, and too problematic for straightforward renovation. In short: they are unloved.

It is no longer the act of building new that represents progress. Being truly progressive in the 21st century means to tread as lightly as possible on the planet. Thus, the unloved buildings should be the subject of an urgent discourse on the necessary transformation not only in legislation and technology, but also in the ethos of the architectural profession.

The book Unloved Buildings contributes to the cultivation of a methodology and language that pays significantly more attention to what already exists—both on a material level and in terms of its identity and social value. It offers a comprehensive—though not exhaustive—account of reuse and transformation in recent Western architectural culture. Through eight projects by the Danish–British architectural firm GXN as case studies, conversations with practitioners, and research, the volume outlines a new practice that will become increasingly relevant in the near future: understanding how and by what means we can extend the lifespan of buildings.