Recently, the issue of replacing old buildings with modern ones has sparked debate among people. The topic has gained increasing importance during the last decades, since the major cities have started developing a overpopulation crisis and the necessity of new and more effiicient houses has arised.
In this essay, I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of replacing old buildings with modern ones.
The main reason why governments should consider to replace old buildings is the possibility to provide more safety. Many old houses were built in a time when laws over buildings’ characteristics were not rigid as they are now. Nowadays, there are plenty of limitations architects and egineers have to consider. These rules allow our houses to be more secure from a structural point of view. If old buildings were replaced by modern houses built according to the current regulations, less accidents related to structural unsafety would happen. Secondly, having old building replaced would allow governments to redesign public places and viability. New roads may be considered and old buildings may change their purposes, in accord to the citizens’ demands and desires. For instance, in my hometown the replacement of an old palace with a new building allowed to create a place more accesible to people, thanks to a redesign of its gates and accesses.
On the other hand, the drawbacks of this action must be taken into account as well. As a matter of fact, some people might argue that replacing old buildings would result in a lost of historical patrimony. According to them, each building reflect the history and peculiarites of its time. Borourghs in the major cities, especially European, are characterized by a variety of styles and designs, which testify the centuries of history that the city has passed through. Furthermore, the different styles enrich the city and make it more appealing to tourists and visitors. The style of a Baroque’s house is completely different from a Post-modern one.
To summarize, the conflict between these two view is long to be resolved. According to me, both these perspectives have their strong reasons. A possible solution to the problem may be to choose accurately which building to replace, evaluating its conditions and its fitting to the current safety protocol.