The Challenge of Preserving Interiors

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission lists only 110 interiors worthy of preservation. This article in Metropolis says the challenge is the "temporal nature of interior spaces."

1 minute read

December 27, 2010, 5:00 AM PST

By Tim Halbur

Exteriors may stay the same, but the way we use rooms changes all the time:

"Real estate agents call this phenomenon 'churn,' and it's been around for a lot longer than historic preservation. Still, a landmark interior is required to meet the same stringent criteria as a landmark building. It must be 30 years old and operate in the public realm. To survive that long intact, it has to be lucky enough to have a sympathetic owner-or more likely, a string of sympathetic owners who have understood and appreciated the space. One false step on the march to 30 can leave it vulnerable to alterations and eventual extinction."

FULL STORY: Looking Inward

Wednesday, December 22, 2010 in Metropolis Magazine

Architecture History / Preservation New York Interiors

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