Conservation Today

This is the official book accompanying the major exhibition at the Royal Academy in May and June 1989, organised by the oyal Fine Art Commission. The exhibition, which is sponsored by The Wolfson Foundation, will follow its London opening with a travelling exhibit to the major British cities and to 13 European countries under the auspices of the British Council. The issue of conserving the ''built environment'' is now no longer a problem for architects and planners alone; European Architectural Heritage Year in 1975 did much to awaken public interest in the issues and opportunities for creative re-use of old buildings. This exhibition shows what has been done in Britain to fulfil the aspirations of EAHY. The record of change is remarkable: the old hostility between development and preservation is slowly altering. It is now seen as possible to preserve and to profit. Nor are the ''profits'' exclusively financial; the social gain from a better and more attractive environment is huge. The book provides a comprehensive survey of the latest developments in heritage preservation. It covers the legislative and financial framework for preservation and development, and includes 60 case histories of successful developments over the last decade. It also sets out an action agenda for the future, and a few warnings of possible dangers.