| | Preserving the World's Great Cities: The Destruction of the Historic Metropolis. Anthony M. Tung.
As a member of the New York City
Landmarks Preservation Commission, Anthony Tung was exposed
to the myriad of factors that influence and play a role
in preservation, though he always felt that one could learn
the most lessons from other places. So after nine years
as a commissioner, he embarked on a journey to 22 cities
to document each city's rise, physical manifestation, destruction
and subsequent preservation process. Coming out of that
trip, this book is an illuminating account of the ways different
cultures view their past through preservation choices, as
well as enlightening the reader to the effects of war, time,
pollution, and other forces impacting buildings. From Mexico
City to Kyoto, and 16 cities in-between, Tung recounts the
events and choices that have led to each city's current
state, such as Warsaw's thorough documentation of its center
before and during German occupation and destruction, and
the subsequent rebuilding to its Pre-WWII condition. Lessons
learned from other places is definitely an accurate description
of what Tung achieved. Each place is different and therefore
requires different solutions, most creative, some better
than others. Eventually the book makes us realize how little
has been carried down from earlier generations, and how
easy that could have been different. It gives us perspective
on that which we build today and it will hopefully inform
our's and future generations on how we treat the built environment.
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