With the importance of retaining architectural features, many new businesses are now choosing to keep the character of their commercial building by incorporating the new with the old.
In the past, many beautiful pieces of architecture were demolished to make way for uninspiring commercial properties throughout towns and cities across Britain.
Over recent years many property buyers and developers have purposely purchased buildings with history attached as they know the significance of preserving something that holds so much nostalgia and interest.
A good example of utilising old buildings is the bottle kiln, also known as the bottle oven. For many years active bottle kilns were a common sight especially in Stoke-on-Trent and Derbyshire but after the decline in the pottery industry, a lot of them were destroyed or stood obsolete and forgotten for many years.
Many businesses based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire have converted old pottery sites into many alternative uses, such as offices, bars and apartments. For an office, the bottle oven would be a unique meeting room or a quiet area for staff to take refuge when work gets stressful.
Another disused pottery site in Stoke-on-Trent has been converted from an old factory and developed into private apartments with the bottle kiln within the courtyard of the grounds, creating a unique feature for its residents.
An international example of the new complimenting the old is The Louvre Pyramid in Paris. It is certainly iconic to tourists and locals but the contemporary addition over the years has seen many critics disgruntled with the structure within the grounds of the museum. After over two decades it’s only now being accepted as an inspiring piece of architecture.
When done right combining traditional architecture with a contemporary design can help enhance the character of the building and give it a new lease of life. With many commercial buildings having strong historic roots it is important for any property developer to consider preserving them whilst giving the property a modern twist.
In some cases, it’s not always feasible to keep old buildings especially when they have become derelict and dangerous over the decades. Unfortunately, the costs and overheads to restore older buildings that are in disrepair outweigh the potential benefits of development.
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