restricting the future. Every effort should be made to preserve and extend the life of a building as is successfully shown by the reinvention, rather than restoration, of Bankside Power Station.
In renovating the Tate Modern, the original style is maintained; there are few materials unutilised from its previous life, and so this agrees with Ruskin in that ‘a new style of
architecture is not needed but just some style.’ (Ruskin, 1894, p. 191) The industrial sternness is
constant throughout, and effective. The exterior, and the recently reopened oil tanks (Anon.,
2011), are of similar design to existing values, and it accomplishes the originality of a world
renowned art gallery, swiftly, elegantly, and without straying far from a 20th century memory.
However, Ruskin limits the imagination and degree of design by suggesting there should not be originality for originality’s sake. Understandably, a building should attempt to honour its
surroundings but the challenge that is posed to good architecture, is meeting this criterion whilst remaining unique. Although the Tate Modern appears a power station, the reinvented interior is striking, reminiscent of its past, and obedient to its heritage, yet distinctly original.
DARENT VALLEY HOSPITAL
The second focus of this essay is the contrasting Darent Valley Hospital on the outskirts of Dartford in Kent. Built on the brown-field site of Darent Park Hospital for children which was
demolished in 1988, this modern construction from 2000 is a 478 bed, acute district general
hospital, which employs 1,900 staff. ( Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, n.d.) This facility entered into this essay for many reasons. The first simply being that this is a local site that I
pass, and sometimes admire it, on almost a daily basis. The second being, that part of my nuclear
family works within, meaning efficiency and the design of this hospital is easier to comment on.
Finally, this is the interior design work of Nightingale Associates, an architectural firm with
whom I have undertaken work experience with on several occasions which allows me to draw
on the design intent. Moreover, this is a functional building, where design has to be compromised for patient care and staff use.
Oliver Baldock |The Essay
10
