1.2 Statement of the problem

Although Viollet-le-Duc’s work was later highly criticized for its lack of authenticity, it however pioneered further work on conservation and preservation of built heritage in different parts of the world. Embaby (2014) reports that a strong relationship exists between conservation of heritage and architectural functions as learners are equipped with knowledge on how to deal with heritage and the various processes of conservation. YazdaniMehr (2019) also reports that adaptive reuse has emerged as a contemporary concept in the preservation of built heritage in the world with international policies and bodies guiding the conservation process.

According to Bullen and Love (2011), there is an increased acceptance that heritage buildings play an important role in building social capital and providing economic, social, and cultural benefits among urban communities. As a result, there is growing support for adaptive reuse as a powerful strategy to enhance the sustainability of heritage buildings in the urban ecosystems where they are situated. Mısırlısoy and Günçe (2016) also share a similar view, observing that adaptive reuse helps provide new functions to buildings that can no longer serve their original purpose. The findings also align with comparative studies which show that adaptive reuse strategies are viable in enhancing the sustainability of existing built environments. For instance, Ijla and Broström (2015) reported that adaptive reuse strategies were effectively utilized in restoring abandoned buildings in Bethlehem in Palestine and Visby in Sweden enhancing overall sustainability of the buildings.

1.2Statement of the problem

The review of diverse studies (Bullen and Love, 2011; Ijla and Broström, 2015; Mısırlısoy and Günçe, 2016) reveal that adaptive reuse is an important strategy in the restoration of heritage buildings in different parts of the world. A key underlying factor leading to its adoption regards its advantages, whereby, communities can enhance their social capital and ensure their identities remain preserved from one generation to another. Based on such evidence, it is interesting to examine the viability of reuse strategies on different types of buildings whose essence is fading with time in the UK and Indian contexts. A brief review of existing monuments often reveals civic disorder, for instance, people engraving their names on the façade or spit marks on the walls. This often ends up disrupting the overall experience of the structure leading to total ignorance and degradation of the structure. An example is the defacing of the Cenotaph war memorial in London as seen in figure 2 below.