The conservation of ancient buildings has come under the spotlight in China in recent years. Restoration projects have been carried out across the country. However, the current state of many ancient buildings is still worrying. Perhaps we should draw lessons from Europe, where many countries are renowned for their well-protected historic buildings.

Spain: No wall-demolishing without permission

In Spain, walls must be preserved if buildings which are over seventy or eighty years old need to be pulled down. [File photo]

In Spain, to pull down a wall is not easy, because any wall that has stood for some years is considered the witness of history and is under statutory protection. People have to get permission from the municipal wall protection institution before they can demolish one.

Walls must be preserved if buildings which are over seventy or eighty years old need to be pulled down. Instead of being demolished, any wall that is worn and broken will be restored. Rules like these have caused difficulties for demolition projects, making the costs nearly one third higher than when walls are also demolished. But there are also benefits too. The machinery industry of wall protection gets booming.

In Spain, the most challenging architectural project is the transformation of bullrings. As bullfights are legally abolished in Catalonia, the local government decided to transform the bullring into a business center with the walls outside the ring preserved. It has taken almost a year just to design and make the wall protection racks. Now the newly-built shopping center has modern escalators and elevators as well as 3-D halls inside, while its walls still feature the original bullring style.