As part of a country’s history, historical buildings are legally protected. Meanwhile, some individuals argue to demolish and rebuild these buildings for new uses such as residential and office. In my opinion, historical buildings are important because they represent the country’s character and invite foreign visitors, while it is still possible to continue the country’s development at the same time.
Preserving old-time buildings is crucial in order to maintain the nation’s identity and tourism. Unlike today where most buildings follow similar architectural styles, in the past, every nation had its own differences which makes them unique. This can become one of the main reasons for a tourist to visit the country. For instance, the majority of Asian tourists, when traveling around Europe, decide their destination countries based on the amount of the country’s historical buildings.
Admittedly, as the population grows, the demands for more infrastructures such as living and working areas also increase. In fact, with proper planning, history can actually stand beside the country’s progress. Instead of destroying the buildings, restoring and reusing them can be the strategy for both historical preservation and the country’s development. As an evident of this method, in Malaysia, rather than demolishing the old English building, they fixed and used it as the headquarters of the country’s transportation office. Another example can be seen as well in America, where the government used an abandoned vintage building to create shelters for homeless people after repairing it.
To summarize, for the country’s identity and to attract tourism, preserving old buildings is important. Nevertheless, it should not be the reason to stop the development of the country, as progression is still possible together with maintaining the old buildings.