Every now and again, someone from the architecture and building industry stands up and says something worthy and meaningful about how adaptation, reuse, restoration and upgrading existing buildings is of far greater importance than building anew. Unfortunately, nothing captures the imagination more than a shiny new building, so proponents of innovation restorations are often left trailing in the wake of novelty.
Marc Kristal hopes to change all that with The New Old House. An international survey of adaptive re-use, the book looks at 18 case studies where renewal has included a major new built component, sitting alongside the old to make a sharp and shapely juxtaposition. Covering everything from ancient British industrial architecture to new takes on the NY townhouse, these are strikingly different projects with a shared ethos at their heart. Renovation, it seems, need place no limits on formal and material innovation, and as the many photographs ably demonstrate, the combination of old and new enhances the patina and texture of these new residences.
The garden facade of Collage House, London, by Jonathan Tuckey.
Kristal’s book also goes far beyond the average coffee table tome, in that project descriptions are rich with insider insight and a genuine interest in the history and processes that shaped each project. With buildings like Witherford Watson Mann's award-winning conversion of Astley Castle in Warwickshire and Acme's striking Hunsett Mill project, that history might go back several centuries.
Crucially, we’re also treated to a welcome number of before and after images (as well as the all-important floor plans), which in many cases reveal these projects to be much, much more than mere extensions. Instead, they're often about returning architectural fragments to a restored, historically suitable state, while new components slot in and alongside. The New Old House is a very welcome insight into a strand of architecture that deserves far more than second tier status.
WT Architecture's The White House, in its spectacular setting on the Scottish island of Coll
Jim Olson's Longbranch House, Washington State.
Corbusier-inspired concrete skylights at Casa Delpin, Puerto Rico, by Nataniel Fuster.
Found Associates' award-winning Cotswolds residence, UK.
INFORMATION
The New Old House: Historic & Modern Architecture Combined, £40, published by Abrams & Chronicle, £40. For more information, visit the website
-
Fendi celebrates 100 years with all-out runway show at its new Milan HQIn the wake of Kim Jones’ departure, Silvia Venturini Fendi took the reins for a special co-ed A/W 2025 collection marking the house’s centenary, unveiling it as the first act of celebrations within Fendi’s expansive new headquarters in Milan
-
‘Leigh Bowery!’ at Tate Modern: 1980s alt-glamour, club culture and rebellionThe new Leigh Bowery exhibition in London is a dazzling, sequin-drenched look back at the 1980s, through the life of one of its brightest stars
-
Inside the unexpected collaboration between Marni’s Francesco Risso and artists Slawn and SoldierNew exhibition ‘The Pink Sun’ will take place at Francesco Risso’s palazzo in Milan in collaboration with Saatchi Yates, opening after the Marni show today, 26 February
-
This modern Cotswolds home draws on its ancient woodland contextThis contemporary Cotswolds home, designed by NCA Architecture with interiors by Echlin, is a slice of the Mediterranean in the English countryside
-
Ten contemporary homes that are pushing the boundaries of architectureA new book detailing 59 visually intriguing and technologically impressive contemporary houses shines a light on how architecture is evolving
-
A Danish twist, compact architecture, and engineering magic: the Don’t Move, Improve 2025 winners are hereDon’t Move, Improve 2025 announces its winners, revealing the residential projects that are rethinking London living
-
This Hampstead house renovation in London transcends styles and periodsThe renovation of a Hampstead house in London by Belgian architect Hans Verstuyft bridges the classic and the contemporary
-
London’s Sloane Street has been transformed into a ‘green boulevard’Iconic shopping destination Sloane Street has had a facelift, now boasting wider pavements, enhanced seating and lighting, and a massive planting scheme
-
New book takes you inside Frinton Park Estate: the Essex modernist housing scheme‘Frinton Park Estate’, a new book by photographer James Weston, delves into the history of a modernist housing scheme in Essex, England
-
Take a deep dive into The Palm Springs School ahead of the region’s Modernism WeekNew book ‘The Palm Springs School: Desert Modernism 1934-1975’ is the ultimate guide to exploring the midcentury gems of California, during Palm Springs Modernism Week 2025 and beyond
-
Conran Building's refresh brings a beloved London landmark into the 21st centuryConran Building at 22 Shad Thames has been given a new lease of life by Squire & Partners, which has rethought the London classic, originally designed by Hopkins, for the 21st century
