Life moves pretty fast

I went to visit the re-developed Battersea Power Station on Thursday (Instagram). It was always a stunning building, with all those millions of bricks and its distinctive chimneys that have dominated that corner of London for so many years, however the rejuvenation of the building and the land around it, is as awe inspiring in of itself.

The mix of architectural vision, a love of industrial heritage, the intelligence of the engineers and builders to implement the design and the sheer will to make it happen that has been decades in the making, has led to a space that is a monument to its history and a regenerated landscape for the future.

Of course, these things are not without their controversies. It is full of high-end apartments and brand shops to which the average Londoner may enjoy a stroll round to visit and admire but generally will step away from for their living, eating and shopping arrangements.

As a result, it makes you think, will the industrial image of the coal dust encrusted Power Station seen on the album cover of Pink Floyd’s LP “Animals”, continue to be more akin to the collective memory of the building than the modern building it has become? How should we respond to this change from old to regenerated?

When you stand amid a development like Battersea Power Station or in and around Granary Square & Kings Cross, (another personal favourite corner of London), with its mix of high tech modern and redeveloped Victorian architecture, it puts into stark contrast the difference in building technology of the past one hundred years or so. Relatedly, I heard this week that 15% of currently occupied English homes were built before 1900 and the average age of homes is about 50 years. With all these things in mind, I have been thinking about nostalgia. Why do we not simply build new every time? Is it solely nostalgia that drives us to maintain buildings, neighbourhoods or other landmarks that are by their very nature, dated?

In the fantastic article from 1997 to that year’s graduates by Mary Schmich, made famous in the music version “Everybody’s Free (to wear sunscreen)” by Baz Luhrmann (See Wikipedia: Wear Sunscreen), nostalgia is mentioned in the following context: “Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth”. Does that mean that nostalgia leads us to make choices that are not guided by reality but by a potentially sugar-coated version of history? I believe this may be partly true but there is another level to it I think in the context of buildings and that is an understanding of the word “home”.

I have been decorating my own home this week – the tang of gloss paint is in the air! In fact, I have changed it quite a bit in the last year or so. But I have wondered a few times in that period, should I move? Is it nostalgia that leads me to stay in my home of 17 years?

There were difficult times in this house when Jen was very poorly, many tears were shed in sadness, but there were also amazing amounts of joy and laughter throughout the time we were here together. It is a building that contains an echo of all these times. I can remember so much as I walk around this small space. Beyond just Jen and I, there are the visits of much missed Grandparents to this house. Times with my dear Dad, Mum and Sister. There has been good food, dancing and the walls have rung with the cheering of football teams. For me, this is what moves this house from being just a “house” to being a “home”.

Thus, when thinking about the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station, would London, as home to many millions of people, be reduced by the removal of such an iconic marker of home? I think that might be why we regenerate buildings and not replace them, beyond a simple nostalgia but because of a sense of place and its relation to home. But I think it is also the reason that new buildings are built around the older ones though. No-one likes to be static. We want the anchor, but we don’t want it to be a heavy one, simply a connection to a known place that allows us to move forward with confidence.

So where does this leave me? The purpose of redecorating has been to help me make the transition from this building being “our” home, Jen and I’s, to “my” home. I have wondered many times what Jen would make of the changes I have made. She knew me so well, she would have just given me a wry smile and not been remotely surprised, particularly at the increase in geeky artwork on the walls! But ultimately, I’d like to think that she would be proud of me for a least trying to move forward. I like the anchor of this home at this point. It is a connection to my past. Will it always be that way? I don’t know. Maybe the result of my intention to try to regenerate myself a little over my sabbatical might lead to a change. In the end, I think it is up to me to try to make sure that nostalgia is in balance with regeneration. It is the here and now which is most important and for now, regeneration is the driving force. I just need to make sure I don’t lean on wet door frames!