David Chipperfield: Architecture Is Never Dead

Abstract

The work of the architect David Chipperfield represents a paradigm for the architectural conservation field. Only a few of his projects are strictly considered conservation projects in the traditional sense based on the material restoration of buildings. However, most of his projects built anew make reference to concepts such as memory, context, place, history, familiarity, archetype, permanence, fragment, ruin or legibility, finding a place within what can be considered the expanded field of conservation. The architect transcends the material dimension of buildings and offers a dialogue throughout time that includes the present. In this sense, his practice differs from the traditional practitioners who give priority to past’s remnants. His conservation projects include strategies ranging from the most rigorous and scientific restoration to the most abstract interpretation and even invention without representing a conflict. This quality makes his work a referent in advancing the contemporary discourse of architectural conservation.