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ACSA Association of Collegiate Schools of
Architecture
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Architectural Monuments as Historic
Document: ABSTRACT The central argument of this paper is that monuments are elements of significance to those architectural theorists who aspire to guide the creation of desirable buildings by discovering the inherent qualities of, and ascribing new meanings to, architectural works of the past. Far from remaining static, the concept of "monument" has been continually adapted to changing perceptions of architecture and to different views on the role of historical models in defining the present. An historical and critical discussion of this concept is central to architecture because the different characteristics that architects seek in the existing buildings they honor partly influences their perception and definition of architecture. This paper, therefore, makes a critical comparison of two conflicting restorations of the same building, Saint-Sernin de Toulouse in France: the "stylistic" restoration philosophy of Viollet-le-Duc and the current "de-restoration" approach of Yves Boiret. During the second half of the nineteenth century, the famous architectural theorist Eugéne Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc restored the Romanesque basilica of Saint-Sernin de Toulouse (1845-1877). This was one of his earlier restoration commissions, but he worked on it through most of his career. Very few monument restoration projects since have been contemplated for so long or have aroused as much controversy. The latest de-restoration of Saint-Sernin (1979-90), proposed by the architect en chef for historic monuments, Yves Boiret, has replaced most of the nineteenth century additions. This paper reveals that Viollet-le-Duc's restoration of Saint-Sernin attempted to make visible the intentions of the medieval builders. Judging him primarily through his writings rather than his projects, most contemporary critics have prompted a re-evaluation of his restorations, providing the occasion to "de-restore" Saint-Sernin to its pre-1860 state. Both these cases of the nineteenth century restoration and the current de-restoration of Saint-Sernin illustrate that our cultural perceptions of the concept of the "monument" change continuously through time. These changes can also motivate the physical transformation of buildings that are revered for either their symbolic, artistic, historic, or critical value. |