#heritage-restoration

#heritage-restoration

A row of semi-derelict houses on Strand is to be restored as part of an expansion of the neighbouring Courtauld Institute and art gallery. The Courtauld recently completed a refurbishment of its art gallery spaces and is now turning to the other side of the estate - its teaching and research centres. As part of the refurbishment, their centre facing into Somerset House will be newly connected to a suite of neighbouring townhouses that face out onto Strand.

Deed Studio + 5 More SpecsLess Specs Deed Studio Text description provided by the architects. The revitalization of Bukhara's historical district is a multi-layered initiative that proposes a contemporary urban space within a UNESCO World Heritage Site. waiwai was commissioned to develop a masterplan for the restoration of the central heritage district, which was inaugurated with the first edition of the Bukhara Biennial in September 2025.

Octav Stroici, 66, was rescued on Monday night after 11 hours under fallen masonry but died of his injuries at the city's Umberto I hospital. Romanian foreign affairs officials, who said he came from their country, thanked rescuers for their efforts to save him during a long, complex and delicate operation. Rome's council announced that a day of mourning for Stroici would be held on Wednesday.

This 18th-century vernacular farmhouse in Naxxar's historic core had been abandoned for over 50 years. Once a working farm and family dwelling, it had fallen into serious disrepair. Organised around a central courtyard and divided into three wings, the property retained significant heritage features, stone slab ceilings, timber beams, xulliel walls, arches, and a large mill room, but its fragmentation and poor condition made it unsuitable for modern family life.

The garden, built between 1771 and 1776, features 27 buildings across four courtyards-with elaborate decorations and furnishings throughout. The buildings are exemplars of 18th-century Chinese imperial design, reflecting a period when the Qing court incorporated European aesthetic influences and techniques such as the trompe l'oeil, introduced by artists such as Italy's Giuseppe Castiglione. The garden was largely closed off during the 20th century, leaving its original furnishings, finishes, and decorative arts largely untouched.

The North Wing at St Bartholomew's Hospital has opened following a 9.5m restoration project. The Grade I-listed building contains the Hogarth Stair, part of architect James Gibbs' 1730s redesign, which is surrounded by the large scale paintings The Pool of Bethesda and The Good Samaritan. Pro Charles Knight, chief executive of the hospital, said the renewal work stood "as a lasting legacy of our recent 900th anniversary, connecting centuries of medical excellence with our rich heritage."

"We don't get to know people when they come to us; we must go to them to find out what they are like," Goethe once wrote. Our homes speak of who we are, our tastes, and the image we want to project to the world. Very few homes, however, are manifestos of their owner's taste quite like Villa Josie.

The inaugural edition of the Bukhara Biennial opened on September 5, 2025, bringing over 70 site-specific commissions by more than 200 participants from 39 countries to the historic core of the Uzbek city. Commissioned by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) and Commissioner Gayane Umerova, the Biennial is described as the largest and most diverse cultural event in Central Asia to date. Curated by Diana Campbell under the theme

In the Foshan Guanyao Cultural and Art Center (Guanyao Sanbao) project, the architects adopted an approach of comprehensive restoration to its original state, combined with localized micro-renovations, in order to preserve the character of the original street block. At the same time, they incorporated spatial cues themed around "ceramics" to provide a spatial foundation for curators, artists, and operators, ultimately realizing the vision of development of related business format and revitalizing the district through ceramic art.