Next to the Houses of Parliament, the tower that houses the enormous bell has been undergoing renovation since 2017.
Tag Archives: Historic Buildings and Sites
Neglected Titanic Memorial: ‘Like Their Graves Have Not Been Tended’
A fledgling preservation group is urging the restoration of the long-suffering memorial lighthouse, but funds are scarce.
Egypt’s Iconic Nile Houseboats Face Demolition
Divas hosted debauched salons on them, and a Nobel laureate wrote a novel on one. “They’re a kind of romantic dream,” one well-known writer said. “They’re so much a part of the heritage of Cairo.”
Documenting India’s Distinctive Birdhouses
For seven years, a photographer based in Delhi has collected images of ornamental structures known as chabutras. Here are some of his favorites.
The Wild History of the Real ‘Only Murders’ Building
Viewers of the Hulu series know it as the Arconia, but the Upper West Side building has a name — and a dramatic story — of its own.
‘Downton Shabby’: A Commoner Takes on an English Castle
A Los Angeles actor and producer moved across the pond to restore his crumbling ancestral home. But fixing up a 50,000-square-foot manor isn’t easy.
At the U.S. Open, Saving the House That Built Golf
Francis Ouimet, an amateur who improbably won the 1913 U.S. Open at the Country Club, grew up across the street. Now his home will be given back to the game, and the course, that made him famous.
A Restored Painting Recalls the Colosseum’s Christian Past
The restoration of a wall painting depicting an idealized Jerusalem is a reminder that the Roman monument, known best for gladiatorial combat, was a sacred Christian space for centuries.
A Road Trip Explores Pennsylvania’s Rye Whiskey
Old Monongahela rye is having a comeback. A distillery road trip tells the story of its fall and rise, with Alexander Hamilton playing the villain.
To House Refugees, Lviv Wants to Make Beautiful Buildings That Last
The Ukrainian city’s distinctive architecture has made it a world heritage site. Its architects are trying to balance aesthetics with sustainability as it prepares for a long war.
How a 7,000-Ton Broadway Theater Was Hoisted 30 Feet
The Beaux-Arts interior of the Palace Theater is a protected landmark, so developers had to devise a plan to raise it three stories in their effort to add more retail space.
8 of the Best Bike Trails in the U.S.
Tens of thousands of miles of abandoned railroad tracks have been developed into recreational paths since the 1960s. Here are scenic pathways through deserts, valleys, mountain passages and more.
Saving Modernism in the Hamptons
Timothy Godbold, an interior designer based in Southampton, became a Hamptons preservationist after learning that so many modernist houses have been torn down.
How Preservationists Are Losing the Fight Against Luxury Real Estate
A squabble over a new development in rural New York reveals a shifting of priorities among local leaders.
In Senegal’s Former Capital, a Colonial Statue in Hiding Is No Longer Welcome
The city of Saint-Louis was shaped by Louis Faidherbe, a French governor who also led brutal military campaigns in West Africa. What to do with his legacy has divided Senegal.
Mi’ilya, Christian Village in Israel, Digs Into Crusader Past
The residents of Mi’ilya long wondered what archaeological treasures lay beneath a crumbling castle. Now, some are excavating their homes to find out.
When the Textile Industry Was Forced Out of the Textile Building
Companies may have lost their showroom hub, but low rents in Midtown, caused by the pandemic, allowed many of them to relocate.
What to Do in London: Platinum Jubilee, ‘Bridgerton’ Events and More
Royal culture, historic sites and traditional British experiences are catnip to Americans who have missed traveling across the pond. A visitors’ guide.
A Long Walk Through Japan’s Kii Peninsula
As is true throughout rural Japan, many of the once-vibrant villages on Honshu’s Kii Peninsula are aging into nothingness.
Demolishing City of the Dead Will Displace a Lively Quarter of Cairo
Cairo’s oldest cemetery is being razed, and thousands of families living amid the grand mausoleums face eviction. “You’re not at ease when you’re living. You’re not at ease even when you’re dead.”
At Madison’s Montpelier, a Fight Over Power for Slaves’ Descendants
A group has accused the majority-white board that operates the Virginia estate of the nation’s fourth president of thwarting an agreement to share control.
We Will Fight for Every Brick of Ukraine
The fight for every single building has taught many Ukrainians to fight for their home, city and country.
Hot Springs in the U.S.: Medicinal, Perhaps. Relaxing? Definitely.
Whether at a luxury spa or a more rustic natural environment, a dip in a natural hot springs promises to be relaxing, if not also medicinal. Here’s where and how to get started.
Britain’s Old War Office Will Soon Become a 5-Star Raffles Hotel
An extravagant conversion is nearly complete on the Old War Office, an Edwardian-era monument to Britain’s imperial past being made into a five-star hotel and high-end apartments.
Anaïs Nin’s Los Angeles Hideaway Still Keeps Her Secrets
Shrouded by the pines of Silver Lake, the erotic writer’s minimalist, midcentury residence is a lasting monument to her life and legacy.
The Museum Ships and Submarines That Are National Landmarks
According to the National Park Service, some 120 vessels in the United States are designated as national historic landmarks.
The Artists Turning Nina Simone’s Childhood Home Into a Creative Destination
Rashid Johnson, Julie Mehretu, Adam Pendleton and Ellen Gallagher are working both to preserve and transform the North Carolina house where she was born.
Pompeii Moves With the Times
The new leader of this 2,000-year-old archaeological treasure is examining gender, race and class while using technology to try and save the site from the ravages of climate change.
Ukraine’s Architectural Treasures Face Destruction
The country’s vast array of historic buildings, artworks and public squares are an integral part of Ukraine’s cultural identity. Amid the violence of war, many are being reduced to rubble.
In Ukraine’s West, Lviv Makes Itself a Vital Rear Base
Spared direct attacks so far, the city has become a transit point for thousands of fleeing refugees and for men and supplies headed to the front lines.
An Italian Princess From Texas Awaits Her Next Act
Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, formerly Rita Jenrette, is locked in a battle over the estate of her late husband, a Roman prince.
Robert Hicks, Blockbuster Author and Battlefield Savior, Dies at 71
He published “The Widow of the South” to promote his real passion: reclaiming a Tennessee Civil War site’s complicated history.
New Amazon Headquarters Sparks Feud Among Indigenous South Africans
The development, still under construction, sits on sacred land in Cape Town. But some Indigenous leaders have allied with the developers, prompting a debate over who speaks for First Nations people.
Ukraine War Bares U.S. Army Delay in Creating New ‘Monuments Officers’
Civilian specialists are tracking the threat to landmarks in Ukraine as the U.S. Army struggles after more than two years to appoint new cultural heritage preservation specialists modeled after the “Monuments Men.”
In Naples, a 19th-Century Palace Passed Down for Generations
An elaborate gift from a king to his wife, Villa Lucia has enraptured for decades, and the home’s current inhabitants are continuing the love affair.
In Mexico, Ornately Painted Churches Enshrine Years of Indigenous Resilience
As Michoacán’s centuries-old chapels undergo restorations, the buildings raise new questions about how architectural conservation should work — and whom such projects are really for.
Why Does the Demolition of a Marcel Breuer House Matter?
The Geller house embodied the optimistic, now-vanished values of postwar suburbia: technological progress and a lifestyle built around children’s needs.
Colby College Acquires Islands That Inspired Andrew and Betsy Wyeth
Colby College has acquired two islands off Maine that inspired the first family of American art, and will show newly discovered works that Andrew Wyeth drew in secret.
The Art Design for Abolitionist Place in Brooklyn Moves Forward
Despite an ongoing legal challenge, New York City is going ahead with a plan for artwork at a new park that will feature messages of social justice, not the statuary some had sought.
In the Bronx, a Push to Save Cass Gilbert’s Train Stations
Two of the stations designed by the famed architect more than 100 years ago for the old ‘Consolidated’ railroad have a chance to be transformed for new uses.
A Marker Honoring Jackie Robinson Was Defaced. M.L.B. Helped Replace It.
A series of incidents in Georgia appeared to be targeting markers dedicated to Black Americans. “This should not be happening,” said Robinson’s cousin.
Book Review: ‘South to America,’ by Imani Perry
In “South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation,” Imani Perry straddles genres to find her own — and our — South.
Eyesore or Monument? Preservationists Fight to Save a Grain Elevator in Buffalo
The current owner of the Great Northern has been pushing to demolish the building — possibly the last grain elevator of its type in the world.
English Island Seeks a Landlord-King Who Likes Solitude, Seals and Beer
On Piel Island, winters are wet, travel is limited, and the solitary pub crowns the landlord king or queen under a shower of beer.
A Grand Miami Beach Hotel, and Its History, Might Be Torn Down
The Deauville Beach Resort played host to The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and John F. Kennedy. But it has been deemed unsafe after years of neglect.
Towers Rise Over London’s Brick Lane, Clouding Its Future
Luxury developments and rising rents have ignited concerns about gentrification and displacement in a district that has long been a sanctuary for minority communities.
Suspect in South Africa’s Parliament Fire Is Sent for Psychiatric Check
If the man is found fit to stand trial, he will face charges that now include terrorism. His lawyers said he would protest with a hunger strike.
One Year Later, Congress Weighs How to Memorialize Jan. 6 at the Capitol
In a building that is both a legislative body and a living museum, lawmakers are grappling with how to commemorate an attack whose victims cannot agree on the basic facts of the day.
Suspect Charged With Arson in Fire at South Africa’s Parliament
The 49-year-old man was also accused of housebreaking, theft and contravening state security laws. His lawyer said the suspect was being made a scapegoat for government failures.
South Africa Parliament: Suspect Charged in Fire to Appear in Court
A 49-year-old man is facing charges of arson and theft in the blaze, which started Sunday and heavily damaged legislative buildings in Cape Town.