In the same spirit as the last issue of AA, devoted to the vestiges, AA Retro takes a look this week at the article “A future for our past?” by Bernard Huet, published in the issue No.180 in 1975. The author examines the socio-political issues related to the restoration and rehabilitation of historic centers of metropolises.

A building, according to the author, witnesses the history of societies as well as past, present and future forces at play in the city. It adopts a function of collective memory and thus articulates the various urban struggles around the safeguarding of historical centers. According to him, the restoration of heritage assigns the monuments a new ideological status in the city and raises several questions. What social function and didactic value is assigned to the preservation of an ancient building? What role does heritage play in the city, and to what extent is its re-use decisive for urban space? Through three emblematic examples – Warsaw, Paris and Bologna – Bernard Huet demonstrates that restoration through a coherent reading of history becomes a symbol of popular resistance to the assaults of land speculation.

To read the full article, click on the cover below and here for the last three pages. And if you want to complete your collection of AA’s vintage issues click here.