The fatal fire at Grenfell Tower shows that architects need to be reevaluating the functionality and safety of old buildings, as well as their aesthetics, according to architect Ole Scheeren.
The Buro Ole Scheeren founder, who has just unveiled plans to radically transform an old office block in Frankfurt, claims that tower blocks in particular provide architects with opportunities to develop innovative solutions.
But he said the accident in west London at Grenfell Tower ? which had simply been re-clad, rather than redesigned to improve its safety ? shows that high-rise buildings need to be cleverly reassessed and never just given a facelift.
Ole Scheeren claims that outdated high-rise buildings offer architects opportunities to develop innovative solutions "This is a tragic example that underlines the fact that architectural intervention should not be limited to surfaces and facades," Scheeren told Dezeen.
"We really need to look at the inherent structural issues of a building, and I don't mean that in terms of stability structure, but all the aspects of how a building functions and what safety it provides, what functionality it provides, and also what kind of social quality it provides," he added. "This is where we have to focus our work."
Scheeren's plans for the 23-storey Frankfurt tower involve completely reconfiguring its interior, creating a more fire-safe staircase and lift core at the centre, and creating new glass-fronted apartments ...