AN ANALYSIS OF ARCHITECTURAL PRESERVATION THEORIES: FROM 1790 TO 1975

The definition of the conceptual parameters in Historic Preservation derive from an explanation of the levels of intervention on the fabric of a building. The scope of the ideas and theories of the field begins with a criticism of the work of James Wyatt (1798), including the work of major restoration architects and theorists, until The Year of the European Architectural Heritage (1975). This analysis is based on the entropic nature of both the causes of decay and the conservation methods necessary to arrest any destructive action. Influenced by the work of John Ruskin (1850), a significant change of attitude is identified, when unnecessary interventions are discouraged and preservation prevails over restoration. The major theoretical conclusions are shown to have an international impact after World War II; thus, making Historic Preservation not an isolated discipline, but a broader perspective in the area of environmental design