Facadism

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Facadist "reconstruction" of a 1890s 7-storey apartment building. Malaya Nikitskaya Street, Moscow, Russia

Facadism or facadomy is the practice of renovating old buildings leaving the facade of a building intact while demolishing and rebuilding its innards.

This is often seen as a compromise between property developers who need to develop properties for modern uses and standards and preservationists who wish to preserve buildings of historical interest. It can be regarded as as compromise between Historic Preservation and Demolition. The practice is derided by preservationists however because it is seen as destructive, where a building is essentially destroyed save for its most superficial details. Despite being highly controversial and denounced by preservationists as vandalism, facadism appears when desire for preservation overwhelms demand for new development.

The practice of facadism conflicts with ICOMOS international charters. The Venice Charter, article 7, states that: A monument is inseparable from the history to which it bears witness and from the setting in which it occurs. The moving of all or part of a monument cannot be allowed except where the safeguarding of that monument demands it or where it is justified by national or international interest of paramount importance.