Yes gutting is absurd here in D.C. - - DC has the ugliest facadimies around and they keep doing it - to the developers it's good economics and they're participating in "preservation" - preservation of bad taste more like it.... LARA Michael Davidson wrote: > > Heidi wrote > what does it matter as long as the building remains standing< > two examples come to mind...one was the restoration of Warsaw Polands old > town...well first there was no restoration; as Warsaw was leveled in WW 2 the > old town was entirely rebuilt from photograph and living memory; as a resident > there 6 months It was a great result; and even though it was communist times; > the resulting restoration was impressive.(even though they did not have good > mortar) The 2nd example that comes to mind is where whole historic blocks of > stone buildings are gutted (Glasgow is famous for this ) leaving the ghostly > facade; then the new building is fitted from behind...and Viola ( as they say > in Hoboken) ....Historic Preservation....I guess the beauty is in the eye of > the beholder..regards M>D