It is mentioned in the reading that preservation is not memory, instead, it is selective and tends to exclude the dirt and pain. However, I would like to add my point of view. I would not like to see preservation being merely for visual consumption. Adaptive reuse is an obvious solution when preserving buildings, but apart from solely having it as a decoration, the memory behind the building, the emotional connection that people might have with any particular historic buildings, should also be considered. The Waterhouse Hotel in Shanghai and the Neues Museum in Berlin are good examples of preservation in my point of view, the ingenious manipulation of old and new, modern and historic. Not only do they effectively preserve the structure but also retain the memories behind the structures. Though these memories might be painful, however, through the design, the addition of subtle modern elements, people are constantly reminded that the past stays in the past.
Liu Sze Chun 3035723338
A strong reflection on Abbas’ critical commentary – especially the architectural examples that you bring in to support your point.