{"id":720552,"date":"2023-11-22T19:42:13","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T19:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=720552"},"modified":"2023-11-23T08:45:05","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T08:45:05","slug":"thank-goodness-theres-a-growing-commitment-to-work-positively-with-buildings-that-are-already-around-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/opinion\/thank-goodness-theres-a-growing-commitment-to-work-positively-with-buildings-that-are-already-around-us","title":{"rendered":"Thank goodness there\u2019s a growing commitment to work positively with buildings that are already around us"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\">Our cover star for the latest issue of the AJ is testament to the design skills of another time and highlights what can make retrofit so challenging and so compelling. The Royale Belge was built as the corporate HQ for a thousand workers, back when the car was king. All late-Modernist Luxe is here: the smoked glass, the pine-and-lakeside setting, the two-storey podium, the hushed abundance. A fa\u00e7ade so heavy that you can imagine a mild sense of relief of the 1970s office workers when they\u2019d got inside safely for their insurance meetings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">Rob Wilson\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/buildings\/belgian-abundance-caruso-st-johns-retrofit-of-brussels-insurance-hq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">brilliant take<\/a>\u00a0on how Caruso St John and Bovenbouw opened up this time capsule for today\u2019s users demonstrates the difficulty and delight in setting up these behemoths for a successful future. It\u2019s as much about the technical feats (literally letting the light in) as the new programme. Now Royale Belge has a mix of uses, including co-working spaces, a hotel, health club and restaurant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u2018The project was fundamentally about doing as little as necessary; restoring and reusing its parts wherever possible,\u2019 says Peter St John. \u2018The DNA of the building is so strong \u2013 it was how to balance working with its spirit and making minimal interventions with ensuring it was compatible with everything it needed to perform.\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">In a similar vein, there has been much debate about London\u2019s Canary Wharf and how its skyscrapers can be repurposed for different ways of working and living. Now practices are taking on the towers with retrofits addressing mixed-use amenities, experiences and emerging industries. You can read Gino Spocchia\u2019s excellent analysis of this key transformation online tomorrow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">The profession is always changing \u2013 and thank goodness there\u2019s a growing commitment to work positively with buildings that are already around us. The Dockyard Church on the Isle of Sheppey was a derelict, decaying gem in real jeopardy. Hugh Broughton Architects has resurrected it as a community heart for the people of Sheppey with support for young entrepreneurs, a caf\u00e9, public exhibition areas and an events space.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">Talk about strong DNA. With input and expertise from today\u2019s architects, great buildings can be timeless.<\/p>\n<p><em>AJ subscribers can read the issue online <a href=\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/digital-edition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a> and it can also be purchased <a href=\"https:\/\/www.architects-journal-shop.co.uk\/collections\/homepage\/products\/aj-23-11-23-retrofit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The retrofit projects featured in our latest issue show how \u2013 with expertise from today\u2019s architects \u2013 great buildings can be timeless<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2185,"featured_media":720562,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[745],"tags":[2018,1342],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin 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retrofit projects featured in our latest issue show how \u2013 with expertise from today\u2019s architects \u2013 great buildings can be timeless\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/opinion\/thank-goodness-theres-a-growing-commitment-to-work-positively-with-buildings-that-are-already-around-us\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Architects\u2019 Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-11-22T19:42:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-11-23T08:45:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn.rt.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/11\/20094446\/079-Royale-Belge_leader-index.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"620\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"414\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Emily Booth\" \/>\n<meta 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