To save or not to save?
by VISI MANAGING EDITOR Alma Viviers
The Save Coromandel campaign launched in VISI 55 has raised several questions about the importance and relevance of preserving our architectural heritage, writes Alma Viviers.
In conversation with SAfm's Nancy Richards, after an interview on the VISI campaign to save Coromandel, she questioned the relevance of the campaign.
Why is it important to preserve this building – arguably the indulgence of a millionaire – when it wasn’t even designed by a South African?
Why is it justified to spend money on preserving and maintaining a house that nobody will live in when millions of people still don’t have adequate housing in South Africa?
Why is this relevant, not only to a few architectural enthusiasts but to the larger society?
These are tough questions indeed and it certainly made me reflect on the issue of architectural heritage and the relevance of trying to save Coromandel.
Although the architect, Marco Zanuso, was not South African, there are most certainly architectural and construction lessons for future architects and craftsmen to be learned from the contextual response, spatial planning and the use of materials at Coromandel. The house already has a reputation for being a place of pilgrimage. Many architects have journeyed to the property to experience this unusual masterpiece firsthand.
It's not only an artistic expression of the architect and the craftspeople who worked on it but also contributes a tangible and physical testament to our rich and diverse history. Buildings like artworks or historical documents serve as evidence of the zeitgeist of a time and a place, of how people lived and how society has changed. If buildings of significance aren't preserved, we risk systematically wiping out our own history. I'm not talking about chronological official history, but rather of the many narratives that contribute to weaving our collective story.
Buildings also capture something of the personal histories of those who commissioned it or lived in it. In the case of Coromandel, it's the story of Sydney Press, who had a significant impact on the South African retail landscape as the founder of Edgars.
Old buildings also have value in environmental and economic terms. In some cases, appropriating existing buildings that might be defunct by adapting them to accommodate new functions can give them a new lease on life. It's often said that there's no greener building than one already built, since the embodied energy has already been spent. Adapting an old building to a new function will also translate into job creation and possibly a new source of income.
Rich and interesting spaces
The aesthetic benefit of reusing buildings is that it creates rich and interesting spaces, and even cities. However, these sorts of conversions need to happen in a considered and sensitive manner to retain the essence and specific character of the building.
The other avenue is to restore a building to a specific period in its existence. The Glass House by Philip Johnson and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Waters house in the USA are both good examples of how this can be run successfully. The National Trust for Historic Preservation manages the Glass House in Connecticut as a design centre dedicated to the preservation of the Modernist heritage and the legacy of Philip Johnson.
They rely on the income generated from visitors, as well as events and donations to maintain the site as an example of a particular architectural movement. The estate is only open to the public for a few months a year and requires booking well in advance. Tickets range from $30 (R210) for a one-hour tour.
In similar fashion, I think through sensitive maintenance and the re-envisioning of the space, Coromandel house and the surrounding landscape by Patrick Watson could become a vibrant place were people from around the world could congregate to learn from and appreciate part of our history. It could become a new income generator for the Farm Workers Trust that owns it and could even contribute to the tourism industry of the area.
What are your thoughts on the subject? Join the conversation on www.facebook.com/VISImag.
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