I am part of organizing a symposium in Calgary surrounding the topic of historicism and what the architectural response should be when building new buildings in districts that have heritage buildings. We are looking for people both in favour of mimicking older architectural styles in new buildings in these districts, and people who advocate contemporary buildings that reflect their time.
Do you guys know of some architects that may have a strong opinion one way or another? People who are outspoken on either side of the debate?
Please let me know. Feel free to debate the topic too.
Title: Back to the Future: Faux History and Contemporary Buildings in the Beltline.
Here is the topic question:
What is the Topic: The topic of this year's Beltline Urban Forum is architecture and heritage. During this extraordinary boom in the Beltline community we have witnessed a number of architectural responses to the historic context that range from brilliant to just plain bad. The debate about what to build around older buildings became a loud and often adversarial clamour when the Mount Royal Block on 17th avenue was proposed. A poorly executed modernist box was rejected by the community as insensitive to its surroundings and gave way to what some believe is a kitschy replication of styles past. The question then arises, what should be the architectural response when designing new projects amongst valued heritage buildings?
Mount Royal Block:
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