Band 6+: Some people argue that historic buildings should be preserved in their original form. Others argue that this is both inadvisable and impossible. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

In the past few decades, there has been a profound increase in saving the ancient establishments in many countries. On one side of the spectrum, there are those that believe the historic buildings should be maintained in their original form. However, others, including myself, believe that it is highly impracticable to restore the ancient structures and that money should be spent elsewhere.

To begin, there is an argument to be made that it is highly impossible to preserve ancient architecture in its original form due to the unavailability of resources and cost. To illustrate, the authentic raw material used centuries ago is extremely difficult to find, many contractors use alternative forms of material which is more readily available. What is more, when the original resources are discovered, it is extremely costly to buy. Furthermore, the funding that is used to restore the old structures is taken from the taxpayers which many citizens oppose and believe, that money can be used for better causes. Taking this into consideration, it is not unreasonable to assume that this is the reason many councils do not invest in preserving the ancient places due to the high cost.

Nonetheless, despite the obstacles of saving historic establishments, there is growing evidence that suggests if a country invests in protecting old structures, it will benefit the economy and save the culture. To exemplify, poor countries often splurge in preserving the historic places as this attracts tourists, which has a direct impact on the country’s economical growth, as tourists spend money on local businesses. Furthermore, saving the original architecture educates future generations and holiday-makers about the historical heritage. Hence, if these points are taken into consideration, then many governments will have a greater interest in preserving the ancient structures whilst contributing to education and the economy.

To conclude from the aforementioned discussion,while some are under the impression that is justifiable to spend millions in preserving the old buildings, others, including myself, strongly believe the council should look into spending that money on other causes affecting the people.