Girona university

It is difficult to design a building within the heart of an existing old city. Architects have always argued about the style and design philosophy to be adopted for such a structure and have never come to an acceptable formula.

One school of thought supports the concept of sympathetic design solutions, which heavily draws upon the style and texture of the existing fabric. Others argue that it would be dishonest on the part of the designer to replicate the old as it may be mistaken for a part of the old fabric in the distant future.

Urban designers normally prefer architects who complement the visible bulk and envelope of the old city but create a contemporary design to suit the functional and emotional needs of a modern society. It shows the structure was designed to complement and respect the existing urban form without compromising the language of today’s architecture.

India, especially Calcutta, is a land of extremities where we either see contemporary buildings trying to imitate their old neighbours or an outlandish structure which doesn’t do justice to its surroundings. The grotesque corridor connecting the high court building to its annexe is an example of the former while the new academic blocks on the Rabindra Bharati campus are examples of the latter.

Two small projects in Munster in Germany and Girona in Italy show how a sensitive approach can retain the character of an old precinct without compromising the functional or aesthetic aspects of a contemporary structure.

The municipality of Munster announced a design competition for a new public library in 1985. The winning design by British architects Peter Wilson and his wife Julia Bolles is an example of how contemporary buildings should be designed in an existing medieval town.

The two separate segments of the building merge with the surrounding buildings and never threaten to dominate the skyline. The pedestrian pathway created by separating the blocks adds a much-needed visual connection between the two streets and establishes a link with the Lamberti Church spire in the background.

The second example is the main building for the University of Girona by Italian architects Josep Fuses and Joan Maria Viader. The university decided to re-use and re-interpret a derelict 16th century half-ruined building in 1987. The existing stone walls were re-used in this wonderful example of in-fill architecture, where the contemporary elements have been boldly exposed to highlight the deliberate intervention. The partly restored and partly reconstructed building responds wonderfully to the challenge of marrying the old with the new.