Restoration Theorists
Identifying a Personal Lineage: Restoration & Adaptive Reuse
After doing extensive research and some soul searching, I feel most connected to the French architect and theorist, Eugene Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (January 27, 1814 – September 17, 1879). Viollet-le-Duc is best known for his extensive restoration projects throughout the 19th century. His portfolio contains a long list of projects that were done in the Gothic Revival style, however he designed and restored buildings in a variety of other architectural styles. His most notable restoration commissions include:
Churches
* Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France * Basilica of Saint-Denis, near Paris France * Saint-Sernin, Toulouse, France * Notre-Dame de Lausanne, Switzerland * Sainte-Chapelle, Paris, France (under Felix Duban) * Saint-Louis, Poissy, France
Castles * Chateau de Roquetaillade, Bordeaux, France * Chateau de Pierrefonds * Fortified city of Carcassonne * Chateau de Coucy * Antoing in Belgium * Chateau de Vincennes, Paris, France
Viollet-le-Duc used a scholarly approach when he worked on restoration projects, focusing primarily on historical data and scientific methods in order to bring an old building back to life. His meaningful contributions to medieval architecture restoration in the nineteenth century made an indelible impression on designers throughout the world. He mastered the art of restoring Gothic buildings; he was an expert in understanding medieval design and construction through careful study and attention to details. He also utilized his artistic skills and keen design intuition to bring out the beauty of a monument or building. At times this was frowned upon but there were times when a designer must make decisions that go against the grain or don’t conform to everyone’s tastes and standards. He chose a course of action that was appropriate to the particular circumstances that he was confronted with. Viollet-le-Duc’s theory
After doing extensive research and some soul searching, I feel most connected to the French architect and theorist, Eugene Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (January 27, 1814 – September 17, 1879). Viollet-le-Duc is best known for his extensive restoration projects throughout the 19th century. His portfolio contains a long list of projects that were done in the Gothic Revival style, however he designed and restored buildings in a variety of other architectural styles. His most notable restoration commissions include:
Churches
* Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France * Basilica of Saint-Denis, near Paris France * Saint-Sernin, Toulouse, France * Notre-Dame de Lausanne, Switzerland * Sainte-Chapelle, Paris, France (under Felix Duban) * Saint-Louis, Poissy, France
Castles * Chateau de Roquetaillade, Bordeaux, France * Chateau de Pierrefonds * Fortified city of Carcassonne * Chateau de Coucy * Antoing in Belgium * Chateau de Vincennes, Paris, France
Viollet-le-Duc used a scholarly approach when he worked on restoration projects, focusing primarily on historical data and scientific methods in order to bring an old building back to life. His meaningful contributions to medieval architecture restoration in the nineteenth century made an indelible impression on designers throughout the world. He mastered the art of restoring Gothic buildings; he was an expert in understanding medieval design and construction through careful study and attention to details. He also utilized his artistic skills and keen design intuition to bring out the beauty of a monument or building. At times this was frowned upon but there were times when a designer must make decisions that go against the grain or don’t conform to everyone’s tastes and standards. He chose a course of action that was appropriate to the particular circumstances that he was confronted with. Viollet-le-Duc’s theory
Bibliography: Curtis, William J.R. Modern Architecture Since 1900, Third Edition. New York, NY: Phaidon Press Ltd., 1996. Fitch, James Marston. Historic Preservation: Curatorial Management of the Built World. U.S.A.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.,1982. Munoz-Vinas, Salvador. Contemporary Theory of Conservation. Burlington, MA.: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005. Murtagh, William J. Keeping Time: The History and Theory of Preservation in America. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1997. Semes, Steven W. Future of the Past: A Conservation Ethic for Architecture, Urbanism, and Historic Preservation. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2009.