Cinema São Jorge....

Manuelino....

Portuguese building "conservation"....

..again and again 😞

Shame....

Ultramarine....

Buon San Valentino....

..a tutti !

Lisbon....from city to theater scenery

This is the destination of most buildings built around 1900. The "restoration" process consists mainly in the total destruction of interiors. Against all the international recommendations and agreements for good building conservation, Lisbon has its own short term/no return final solution. 

Villa Moraes....

Edinburgh....

 ..beautiful city

Slottsskogsvallen, 100 years....

..1923, by Lars Israel Wahlman

Gaiola Pombalina....

Goodbye Kjellbergska Gymnasiet....

1935, by Ragnar Ossian Swensson

In the age of environmental friendliness and sustainability (as standard meaningless blablabla), the local politicians decided to tear down this former school building. Under any circumstances, will we get any new buildings of such quality ! Take a close look at those thick and firm brick walls....what a waste 😡 

The very rare....

..perimeter walls in Sweden. Here at Arkivgatan, Göteborg 

Buon San Valentino....

..a tutti !

Roma, Roma....

The five steps of the Portuguese methodology for the destruction of built heritage....

Palacete at Praça Duque de Saldanha, 1908, by José Luís Monteiro (photo: João Carvalho)

.."abandoned" for some decades

..step 2

..the practice of step 3 at Praça Duque de Saldanha

1 - The absence of maintenance for some decades.

2 - After the last tenant leaves the building, the main door should be closed with an iron chain with a padlock. This may seem like a peculiar measure, but it sends the message that the building is beyond salvation.

3 - The opening of some windows to accelerate the process of decay.

4 - Now is time for the removal of some tiles from the roof in order to accelerate the infiltration of water.

5 - Finally, if steps 1, 3 and 4 are insufficient or slow, there is always the possibility of a “spontaneous combustion”.

   

This methodology has been applied with plenty of success for some decades with the passive cooperation and understanding by the (in)competent Portuguese authorities.

Some photos stolen from MAGG

Black crust....

Until the 1980s, this was a common phenomenon in large cities where entire facades could be covered with a black crust. Since catalytic converters became mandatory on new cars, the quality of the air has improved and the problem has gradually become almost a rarity in European cities.

Wild flora....

"Restoration" in central Lisbon....

..is mostly tantamount to total destruction of interiors....and this has been going on for decades !

City [dis]membering....Lisbon

..by blind architects, blind urban "planners" and blind local authorities !