Conservation vs Demolition of architectural finishes. Issues and impacts on industrial heritage

If we just consider the world around us, we unequivocally realize that objects, living beings and any scenario we observe are in continuous change. We also become aware that change is an integral part of every natural phenomenon and it is irreversible, meaning that no spontaneous process will ever bring a system back to its previous condition.We also know that these changes are not only chemical-physical but also cultural, in that they are conditioned by utility, functionality, efficiency as well as ideological needs. If culture provides the forms, nature provides the materials and it is thanks to their overlapping that human beings create the artifacts surrounding us in ever greater numbers. The intimate link between production forms and social relations closely binds the development of technology in a co-evolutionary way, to changes in the built environment and mentalities. When we talk about development, we also implicitly refer to abandonment and to the often-consequential practice of demolition. Many consider demolition a historical need, positing that all cultures and societies were sometimes created and later developed on the rubble of their built environment. At the same time, though, development also means conservation, not necessarily in the material sense, but as an attempt to preserve the founding values and identity of the object, through which we recognize the ability to legitimize our human condition and substantiate the necessary becoming of society. The essay analyses the relationship between demolition and preservation architectural finishes in historic architecture(with particular attention to industrial heritage), analyses cultural trends and attitudes and stresses the need for critical and careful reflection whenever it is decided to work on the built cultural heritage both in terms of valorisation and in terms of the preservation of the cultural heritage.