The other shore. Preservation and the past in the United States

Abstract

Observing the American experience from a European vantage point enables us to understand the reasons that, in a similar ‘Western’ culture, have led to a different feeling for the built heritage of the past, and to grasp both the differences and the possible convergences that can stimulate research and stewardship on both sides of the Atlantic. With these aims, the paper will follow a two-pronged approach, reviewing the American literature and illustrating several initiatives for historic buildings in an attempt to provide a concise overview. We will thus describe the nature of the American architecture of the past, the particular role played by the ‘Modern Movement’ in establishing a national figurative identity, the specificity of architectural historiography and restoration and the meaning assigned to the concepts of time, memory, authenticity.

Keywords

• Preservation
• United States
• Identity
• Meaning
• Authenticity