Listed Building Conservation
Since 1947, the United Kingdom
has taken statutory steps to protect its heritage by listing important
buildings, so as to ensure that future
generations may benefit from our heritage.
Listed buildings and structures, offer us a window on the past, a retrospective
of times gone by, in them we can see how previous generations, worked , lived
and played, in addition to these grade listed structures, locations of historic
events ranging from scientific discoveries to battles are also preserved as
reminders of our varying contributions to history.
Listed buildings, monuments and structures offer us a look in to the
past, but the process of conservation is ongoing, as we move through time and
our society develops and changes, decisions need to be made as to what existing,
modern buildings need to be listed as important to the period in which they were
designed and used.
Whilst it’s fair to say that almost any building constructed and surviving in
anything like its original format prior to 1840 is listed, anything that
receives a listing that was built after the 1950s has to be an outstanding
example of its time. Opinions on modern structures are often polarised, some
buildings are revered because of their architectural prowess, whilst the same
building may be viewed as a ugly carbuncle by others. Buildings have impact,
they affect our daily lives, they are often thought provoking and outstanding
examples will also need to be preserved, if sometimes they prove to be
controversial.
Probably one of the finest examples of a controversial modern building is the
Lloyds
insurance building in the city of London. This steel and glass
megalith created controversially by the architect Richard Rogers, addresses the
infrastructure in a novel fashion by placing it on the outside of the building,
all essential services are sited on the exterior in six vertical towers, thus
creating large and uninterrupted spaces within.
Anyone lucky to be able to visit this insurance building will be stunned by its
central atrium, 14 floors and 76 meters (249 feet) tall. This building has had a
huge impact since construction was completed in 1986. It has become an icon the
world over as the headquarters of the world’s most important insurance
institution. Beyond this, it is viewed every day by thousands of people, it
provokes thought and debate.
Witness many faceless city buildings and compare them next to the Lloyds
building, a modern functional style icon.
The building's extravagant design has led to numerous awards already including
Civic Trust Award, Concrete Society
Commendation and Financial Times 'Architecture at Work' Award in 1987, crowned
with an RIBA Award in 1988 certifying its success and recognition and surely if
any modern building should be listed then the Lloyds building must be a strong
candidate.
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Copyright Assetsure Limited 2007
Cover for Listed Buildings - all grades
considered 
