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”Steel”, “glass”, “concrete”, “high-rise”, “skyscraper”, are all the common words used for

the new style of architecture, or modern architecture. But what about “victorian”, “red bricks”,

“balcony”, “chimney”, or words for old and historical buildings? The aim of this essay is to give an

overview of the advantages and disadvantages of both, modern buildings and historical buildings by

giving examples in the city of London. There have been several debates between architects because

of 2 different opinions. The first one is the city needs to be expanded vertically to hosts more spaces

and to compete with other modern cities in the world, on the other hand, the city needs to preserve

its heritage buildings for many purposes such as historical, aesthetic, and educational purposes. The

author will be looking from both perspectives and giving examples, and finally some solutions to

solve the problem are set out.

The 20th century will be remembered for many things such as; devastating wars, remarkable

technological change, the human population explosion, environmental degradation, but perhaps

above all the dramatic urbanisation of human societies. At the beginning of the present century

about 150 million people lived in cities and towns, less than one in ten of what was then the world's

population. By the end of this century this figure will have increased twenty-fold, amounting to half

the world's population. In 1900, only five or six urban regions had more than a million people. By

2010, a similar number will each have a population of more than 20 million. In the unfolding of

human experience the 20th century will have been the brige between the last rural century and the

first urban century (Gilbert, 1996).

One of the busiest cities in the world, the city of London is the capital of the United

Kingdom, attracting immigrants from all over the world. Each year the city grew by the population

of a small town. It had the finest architecture and the river made London a centre of international

trade. The population had seen massive growth and the streets thronged with wealth and squalor

side by side. (MacDonalds, 1995)

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 London have had a big change in its population. The population of Greater London was

around 5500000 people in 1890, and increased until it reached its peak in 1940 with almost

9000000 people lived in London. The population slightly declined to 7000000 in 1980 and remain

stable for 10 years, and increased to 7500000 in 2010, with population density of 4,807 people per

km square. (The London Census, 2010)

Despite the fact that London is getting bigger and bigger, the city requires more spaces each

day for people to do their activities. London is now facing the truth that the area could not be

expanded anywhere else, since it is almost taking another neighbouring cities around.

Local authorities and architects are thinking about 'bringing back the city' which means start

to build from the centre again rather than keep expanding horizontally. The most common solution

is to demolish the existing old buildings, and replace them with new and modern skyscrapers which

can accommodate more people in them, and also to keep the city of London aware with the trends

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toward modern architecture with domination of steels and glasses, and environmentally sustainable.

Cities in the world are now competing on modern look by adding modern skyscrapers on their

skyline.

The London Plan published by the Mayor of London in 2004, estimated that the population

would reach 8.1 million by 2016, and continue to rise thereafter. This was reflected in a move

towards denser, more urban styles of building, including a greatly increased number of tall

buildings, and proposals for major enhancements to the public transport network. (Powell, 2004)

According to Wall (2010) modernism began with the assumption that it would completely

reshape cities in bold new forms. Many modernism proposed a complete rejection of traditional

styles. What is the importance of keeping what is called 'Traditional Style'? Traditional

architectural detail, ornament and well-finished construction can create a sense of well-being,

whereas functional concrete slabs can be stark, unfriendly, and invite graffiti. The original

Corbusian idea of stark white towers rising under a blue Mediterranean sky, from which rain seldom

falls, is inappropriate in Britain. Le Corbusier's flat roofs were a practically in such climates rather

than a constant maintenance problem as in Britain. Thus, Public awareness and concern with

architectural and urban aesthetic issues, such as the design of new buildings, and the conservation

of historic buildings, have increased. The general public may expect more, rather than less, design

control from the town planners than in the past. Bad visual design is often accompanied by poor

functional design, making buildings dull and difficult to live or work in. people like user-friendly

buildings, and welcome interest and variety in the townscape as they go about their daily business

(Punter, 1990).

There are three aspects of the value of conservation has been researched by the London

Planning Adviser Committee; environmental, social, and economic. London's historic environment

is an invaluable record of our past. Parliament has legislated for its protection because it shows

some of the highest achievements of our culture and is a source of national pride. And also the

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value of conservation lies in the contribution it makes to the quality of the urban environment,

creating a diverse urban fabric and differentiating the character of one area from another. For the

social aspect, buildings, towns, monuments, and other historic features are a fascinating and

important educational resource. 70% of respondents, Londoners and visitors alike, referred to

historic buildings, old churches, ceremonies, and pageantry as the features they like most about

London. The economic value of conserving London's historic environment is related to, and in some

instances, generated by, the environmental and social factors referred to above. Tourism and

property market are the major consideration of the economic value. (Macdonald, 1995)

Public awareness and concern with architectural and urban aesthetic issues, such as the

design of new buildings, and the conservation of historic buildings, have increased. The general

public may expect more, rather than less, design control from the town planners than in the past.

Bad visual design is often accompanied by poor functional design, making buildings dull and

difficult to live or work in. people like user-friendly buildings, and welcome interest and variety in

the townscape as they go about their daily business (Punter, 1990).

Jane Jacobs, in The death and life of great American cities (1961), writes : 'cities need old

building so badly it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them.

By old buildings, I mean not museum-piece old buildings, not old in an excellent and expensive

state of rehabilitation, but also good lot of plain, ordinary, low value buildings, including some run

down old buildings.'

Many solutions have been proposed for this problem. Conserving London's historic

environment is of real value. It is fundamental to the capital's future prosperity and its role as a

world city. Macdonald (1995) recommended several policy initiatives to realise this potential. The

first one is promote London's historic framework as a feature of national and international

importance. The government should set out the requirements for policies to conserve buildings,

monuments, spaces, artefacts, and views which give London its unique character. The second one is

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to secure a sustainable future for historic buildings and areas at risk. English Heritage has prepared

a journal of redundant public buildings which includes examples of buildings successfully recycled

to productive uses.

Conservation provides one of the biggest opportunities to give practical expression to

sustainability principles and is a key contributor to the economic well-being of London and the

nation (Macdonald, 1995). I believe by conserving the existing buildings will bring many benefits

to the city and the people who inhabit it and also helps to retain a sense of place and identity and

maintain balanced, harmonious communities and diverse mix of uses.

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Bibliography

• Gilbert, R (1996) MAKING CITIES WORK; the role of local authorities in the urban

environment, London, Earthscan.

• Macdonald, K (1995) CONSERVATION IN LONDON; A study of strategic planning policy

in London, London, English Heritage Publishing.

• Powell, K (2004) CITY REBORN, London, Hugh Merrel.

• Punter, J (1990) Design control in Bristol 1940-1990 : the impact of planning on the design

of office development in the city centre, Bristol, Redcliffe Press.

• The 1891 'London Census' Transcription (2003), available at : http://www.census1891.com/

[accessed Nov 29 2010]

• Wall, E (2010) BASIC LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE; URBAN DESIGN, Switzerland,

AVA Publishing.

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