We need to encourage restoration

RESTORATION—the theme of this week's issue—is an inherently uplifting subject. That's not only because returning objects or buildings to use and decent appearance after a period of neglect and defacement is a physical improvement.

- 

Properly done, restoration breathes new life into old things and, in the process, recognises both their original quality and imbues them with present value. It further allows the past to touch the present in a way that dignifies the former and enriches the latter. No less importantly, at the present moment, it is an act of recycling. Over recent decades, the world of architecture has become addicted to a pattern of development, demolition and rebuild. With the construction industry accounting for nearly 40% of global emissions of carbon dioxide, this is a habit that urgently has to change.