The 1950s brick facade being removed from a historic 1800s building.
During the 1950s and 60s, many historic buildings in American cities were modernized with brick or concrete veneers to match contemporary tastes. Beneath these surfaces, however, often lay ornate stonework and iron detailing from an earlier architectural era, hidden for decades.
The image of the Macy’s building mid-restoration evokes the layered nature of urban history. Each generation leaves its mark, sometimes erasing or disguising the past in the process. What emerges when the modern shell is stripped away is not just a structure, but a story, one of changing aesthetics, commerce, and preservation. This rediscovery is a metaphor for how cities evolve, preserving fragments of their former selves beneath the weight of progress.
Added fact: Architectural historians call this process “facadism,” a controversial practice where only the historical front of a building is preserved while the rest is rebuilt, often sparking debates over authenticity and heritage.
During the 1950s and 60s, many historic buildings in American cities were modernized with brick or concrete veneers to match contemporary tastes. Beneath these surfaces, however, often lay ornate stonework and iron detailing from an earlier architectural era, hidden for decades.
The image of the Macy’s building mid-restoration evokes the layered nature of urban history. Each generation leaves its mark, sometimes erasing or disguising the past in the process. What emerges when the modern shell is stripped away is not just a structure, but a story, one of changing aesthetics, commerce, and preservation. This rediscovery is a metaphor for how cities evolve, preserving fragments of their former selves beneath the weight of progress.
Added fact: Architectural historians call this process “facadism,” a controversial practice where only the historical front of a building is preserved while the rest is rebuilt, often sparking debates over authenticity and heritage.
The 1950s brick facade being removed from a historic 1800s building.
During the 1950s and 60s, many historic buildings in American cities were modernized with brick or concrete veneers to match contemporary tastes. Beneath these surfaces, however, often lay ornate stonework and iron detailing from an earlier architectural era, hidden for decades.
The image of the Macy’s building mid-restoration evokes the layered nature of urban history. Each generation leaves its mark, sometimes erasing or disguising the past in the process. What emerges when the modern shell is stripped away is not just a structure, but a story, one of changing aesthetics, commerce, and preservation. This rediscovery is a metaphor for how cities evolve, preserving fragments of their former selves beneath the weight of progress.
Added fact: Architectural historians call this process “facadism,” a controversial practice where only the historical front of a building is preserved while the rest is rebuilt, often sparking debates over authenticity and heritage.
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