Is there a moment in history you wish you could experience? The world is full of beautiful old historical buildings that connect us to the past, but too many are lost to decay or thoughtless development. Restoration can give us glimpses into what they might have looked like decades or centuries ago.
The /r/Saved_Architecture subreddit collects architectural success stories. Their before-and-after photos document the work talented architects’ and tradesmen do to preserve architectural history. Some of the buildings are worn down by neglect and time, while others are revealed from beneath facades installed to hide their former beauty. The old buildings’ scars can even tell us stories – of wars, demographic changes, economic decline, or changing tastes.
Restoration is a difficult and subtle trade. Ancient materials or processes may no longer be available, and neither are the buildings’ plans. Architects may have to use old photographs or even first-hand historical accounts as clues to discover an old building’s design.
Whatever the case, we are lucky to witness these restored slices of the past. Scroll down to vote for your favorite saved architecture restorations or add one you’ve seen in your own town or city.
#1 The Bourse Of Antwerp (Antwerp Stock Exchange)- The World’s First Purpose-Built Commodity Exchange. Built In 1531 And Restored In 2019
Image source: danishhousemafia
#2 14th Century Building, Droitwich, UK. Built In 1320, Covered And Further Covered In The 18th, 19th And 20th Centuries. Restored And Saved In 2017
Image source: danishhousemafia
#3 Just A Quickly Reminder How A Decent Renovation Should Look Like(Warsaw, Poland)
Image source: Synchronyme
#4 The Old Manufactury Of Lodz, Poland
Image source: Rhinelander7
#5 Schofield Building, Cleveland, USA. Built In 1902, Facade Panelled Over In The 60s And Restored In 2017 To Its Original Design
Image source: danishhousemafia
#6 La Samaritaine, A “Grand Magasin” Of Paris Is Going To Reopen After 15 Years Of Massive Restoration Work
Image source: Hiro_Trevelyan
#7 Deutsches Buchgewerbehaus In Leipzig/Germany – Built 1898-1901, Reconstructed In 2018
Image source: pete_knightde
#8 The Changing Face Of St Bartholomew-The-Great’s Gatehouse In Smithfield, Which Was Built In 1595 And Some Point Bricked Over. It Was Bombed During A Ww1 Zeppelin Raid Knocking Off Some Bricks Revealing Its Tudor Half-Timbered Facade. It Was Restored To How It Looks Today. 1916 vs. Now
Image source: Scraw16
#9 A Historic Building In Tbilisi, Georgia
Image source: Rhinelander7
#10 Villa “Anna” In Konstancin-Jeziorna Near Warsaw, Poland. Built In 1904 And Renovated In 2021
Image source: Rhinelander7
#11 Laurietta Farmhouse, Fayette, Mississippi. Built In 1825 And Restored In 2014
Image source: danishhousemafia
#12 The Restoration Of A Mansion In Astashova, Russia
Image source: Rhinelander7
#13 Green Gate, Gdańsk, Poland. Beautifully Restored Along With The Majority Of Gdańsk Old Town After Ww2
Image source: danishhousemafia
#14 Elks Lodge Building In Marshall, Texas, USA. Built In 1912, It’s Beautiful Facade Was Ruined Over The Years By Modifications, But It Was Lovingly Restored To It’s Former Glory In 2013
Image source: IhaveCripplingAngst
#15 Old Leominster High School. Built In 1908 And Abandoned In 1986. It Was Bought And Renovated Over 2 Years To Be 32 Affordable Housing Units
Image source: The_Angry_Fish
#16 Schloss Brauchitschdorf (Pl: Pałac W Chróstniku), Built In 1728, Restored In 2009-2014. Chróstnik, Poland
Image source: danishhousemafia
#17 Harlow Tower, Kent, UK. Built From 1785 To 1852 And Restored In 2011. 170 Ft Tall, A Great Example Of A Victorian Gothic Tower!
Image source: danishhousemafia
#18 Filipescu-Cesianu House, Bucharest, Romania, 1892
Image source: Logical_Yak_224
#19 Hacienda Zotoluca, Built In 1710, Rebuilt In 2016
Image source: danishhousemafia
#20 A Victorian House In Rarden, Ohio, USA
Image source: Rhinelander7
#21 Restoration Of The Palace In Tsaritsyno (Russia). The Palace Was Not Completed In The 18th Century, And Stood In Ruins, But At The Beginning Of The 21st Century, The Palace Was Built Completely In Accordance With The Project Of The 18th Century
Image source: danishhousemafia
#22 1991 vs. Today, Eltz Manor, Vukovar, Croatia
Image source: danishhousemafia
#23 Versailles Royal Chapel, After 3 Years Of Restoration And 300,000 Golden Leafs
Image source: Synchronyme
#24 The Pre-Columbian Pyramids In Teotihuacan, Mexico
Image source: Rhinelander7
#25 Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Il. Built 1914, Abandoned 2002, Converted Into Hyatt Place/Hyatt House In 2018
Image source: Logical_Yak_224
#26 Grand Hotel, Stockholm. Built In 1872, Original Facade Removed During The Mid 20th Century Before Being Restored In 2018!
Image source: danishhousemafia
#27 Restoration Of The Konstantinovsky Palace. Photos 2000-2010. Saint Petersburg, Russia
Image source: danishhousemafia
#28 It’s No English Manor, But I Really Appreciate How The Owners Of This Old 3-Decker On My Street In Worcester, Massachusetts Made An Effort To Restore It To It’s Original Charm
Image source: reddit.com
#29 Eglantine House In Hillsborough, Northern Ireland
Image source: Rhinelander7
#30 Restoration Of A Church In Podmoklovo, Russia
Image source: Rhinelander7
#31 Post Office From 1884, Călărași, Romania
Image source: Logical_Yak_224
#32 Dresden Frauenkirche, Germany
Image source: Synchronyme
#33 Ramba Graduate Teacher’s College, Porbandar, India
Image source: Logical_Yak_224
#34 Andreas Gryphius Theatre In Głogów, Poland Was Badly Damaged During Ww2 But Restored This Year Back To Its Original State
Image source: danishhousemafia
#35 Teters House, Riga, Latvia. Built In 1912 And Saved And Restored In 2015
Image source: danishhousemafia
#36 A Gründerzeitgebeude In Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
Image source: Rhinelander7
#37 Kaiserstrasse 48 In Frankfurt/Germany – “Restored” (Because Not 100% Accurate) In 2013
Image source: pete_knightde
#38 The Entire Village Of Venzone In Italy Was Restored To It’s Previous Appearance After A Massive Earthquake. Truly Inspiring!
Image source: Rhinelander7
#39 The Restoration Of A Kalmyk Buddhist Temple In The Astrakhan Region Of The Russian Federation
Image source: Rhinelander7
#40 James Scott Mansion In Detroit, Michigan, USA
Image source: Rhinelander7
#41 The Byzantine Palace Of Mystras, Peloponnese, Greece
Image source: AlbusTheWhiteMagus
#42 Elizavetino Manor Near St Petersburg, Russia
Image source: Rhinelander7
#43 A Restored Lutheran Church In Zorkino, Russia. It Was Originally Used By The Volga Germans, Who Founded The Then Mostly German Town Of Zürich (Now Zorkino). The Inside Was Also Restored, Complete With Wooden Balconies And German Text Above The Altar
Image source: Rhinelander7
#44 Hotel Cișmigiu, Bucharest, Romania | Arghir Culina | 1912
Image source: Logical_Yak_224
#45 Philadelphia’s Lost A Lot Of Architecture, But In The Last Few Years Some Real Gems Have Been Saved! 2014 vs. 2019
Image source: whatthehellisplace
#46 Water Pumping Station, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, Built In 1909
Image source: Logical_Yak_224
#47 Mid-17th Century Raudondvaris Renaissance Castle In Lithuania (Only Ever Intended To Be Used Residentially Despite Its Colloquial Title Of “Castle”). In 1967–1975, It Was Saved From Ruination Along With Having Inauthentic Additions Of Later Eras Removed
Image source: MAGNVS_DVX_LITVANIAE
#48 Buda Castle’s Royal Riding Hall (Hungary): Before Ww2, After… And Since 2019
Image source: Hypattie
#49 A Former Monastery And Chapel On One Of The Oldest Streets In Vilnius, Lithuania. Pictured From Top To Bottom Are: A Facade Scheme (1834), A Google Street View Screenshot (2012) And Ongoing Works (2020) Across The Rest Of The Massive Ensemble
Image source: MAGNVS_DVX_LITVANIAE
#50 1917 Abandoned Foundry Recently Restored Into A Polyclinic In Genoa, Italy
Image source: lorenzomiglie
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