Photo: Hampton Court Palace fire, 1986.
As the National Trust has recently discovered, after fire gutted Clandon Park, restoring damaged buildings is surprisingly contentious. Philosophy, regulation, insurance, finance and fashion may all pull in different directions. Architects will call for a rebuilding, conservationists for an exact replica and archaeologists to maintain a ruin. So how do you decide what to do with a gutted building – restore, rebuild, conserve, demolish or monumentalise? Simon Thurley looks at how organisations, The Church, the Royal Family, the National Trust and private owners, have dealt with the problem since the Second World War. Are there lessons we can learn for the future, or will it always be a contentious debate?
Dr Simon Thurley began his career working on the repair of the fire damage at Hampton Court Palace. Formerly Chief Executive of English Heritage, he currently chairs the National Lottery Heritage Fund and serves on the board of the Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal project.
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