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Architecture vocabulary · Styles, History and Conservation

Restoration

Meaning in architecture, with examples

/ˌrestəˈreɪʃn/nounCommon term

In architecture, restoration means: Work that repairs a historic building and returns it to an earlier condition, based on careful research into its original form, materials and techniques.

In Turkish: restorasyon, onarım

How it is used

Part of the wider field of conservation. Restoration projects start with a measured survey and a condition report; architects restore, repair and consolidate. International principles such as the Venice Charter (1964) guide how much original fabric should be kept.

Example sentences

  1. The restoration of the old inn took four years and used traditional lime mortar.

  2. Before the restoration, we prepared measured drawings of every facade.

Common collocations

  • restoration project
  • careful restoration
  • restoration architect
  • measured survey
  • conservation
  • adaptive reuseGiving an old building a new use, such as turning a factory into a museum or offices, while keeping much of its original structure and character.
  • vernacular architectureTraditional buildings made by local people with local materials and knowledge, shaped by climate, culture and everyday needs rather than by professional architects.
  • masonryConstruction made of separate units such as stone, brick or concrete blocks laid in mortar; also the units themselves as a building material.
  • facadeAn outer face of a building, especially the front or the side facing a street, considered as a whole with its windows, materials and details.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Styles, History and Conservation

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