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In The Future of the Past, Steven Semespersuasively argues for a particular aesthetic of preservation andconstruction. The University of Notre Dame architecture professor illustrateshis call for harmony between old and new, for building within the context of whatalready exists, with many photographs of what works (and a few cases of whatdoesn’t). “Tradition is a way of making successful outcomes more likely,” hewrites. Uncoupling form from function, Semes points out that if a buildingremains intact, its form might remain but its purpose could change. Likewise, atype of building can assume new functions, as when Roman basilicas became themodel for Christian churches.
