A Contemporary Design In Historical City Textures: “Crystal Houses In Amsterdam”

Abstract

In the historical city textures that exhibit the history and cultural richness of the cities, the reconstruction activities that are generally carried out in harmony with the texture can also be done with a different approach, in other words, with contemporary designs. Another important application that sets an example for contemporary designs in historical texture in terms of material and form and texture is the building named Crystal Houses in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Therefore, this study aims to analyze this renovated historical building that has a different but respected façade to the historical city texture within the context of contemporary preservation approaches and competence the international ICOMOS charters., The importance of the historical city textures and traditional and contemporary preservation approaches are explained briefly to conduct this study. After that, the selected building is examined in a detailed way by considering the aim and methods that have been used during the renovation. Then their coherence to the international ICOMOS and UNESCO charters is associated. The evaluations indicated that the building, which has a contemporary façade and innovative preservation methods of construction, can still be respectful to the surroundings and different at the same time.