keep the pretty face, gut everything behind it, call it preservation.
means an architectural practice of retaining only a building's original front wall while demolishing and rebuilding the structure behind it.
from emerged as developers and preservation boards clashed in the late 20th century, especially in london and new york, where landmark laws protected exteriors but not interiors, letting owners hollow out old buildings while keeping their historic street face intact.
orchard street london — victorian shopfronts kept, entire interiors rebuilt behind them
whitechapel gallery extension — 2009 london expansion preserved facade, gutted library behind it
astor place tower — nyc developer retained 1881 facade fragment for new condo, 2013
beijing hutong renovations — old courtyard walls kept while interiors modernized entirely