Modernity and history can coexist beautifully, especially when skilled architects are part of the equation. The contemporary world often acts like an unchecked greenery that envelops the remnants of our historical past. For this reason, monuments that are revitalized within a modern framework must be carefully preserved and integrated into the community and cultural landscape of cities.

The Cathedral of the Dormition or Bagrati Cathedral, in Kutaisi, Georgia

Bagrati Cathedral is located in Kutaisi, Imereti region, on Ukimerioni hill. It was built in 1003, during the reign of Bagrat III. Bagrati Temple is an important monument of Georgian culture, both in terms of architectural solution and symbolic significance. It is a symbol of the unity and strength of our country.

Until the end of the XVII century, the monument was safely preserved. In 1692, the Ottomans, entered from Akhaltsikhe, captured the Kutaisi fortress and blew up the Bagrati temple during the battle. They also seized the wealth of the church.

In 1770, King Solomon I of Imereti recaptured the fortress and liberated the Bagrati Temple from the Ottomans, although the monument was further damaged during the battle. Nowadays, the church is completely restored. The Bagrati Temple has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1994, but was removed from the list after restoration.

The Bundeswehr Museum of Military History, in Dresden, Germany 

The Bundeswehr Museum of Military History in Dresden offers two approaches to military history, which are reflected both in the architecture and the design of the exhibition. The Museum consists of two parts: the arsenal that was built in the 1870s and the new extension designed by U.S. architect Daniel Libeskind, completed in 2011. Shaped like a wedge, the extension cuts through the old arsenal. The play of light and shade produced by the new wedge symbolizes the eventful military history of Germany.

Both the architecture and the permanent exhibition of the Bundeswehr Museum of Military History seek to avoid biased presentations and challenge traditional perspectives.

The Bundeswehr Museum of Military History aims to open new avenues of thought. It is a platform for public debate on war and the military in the past, present, and future.

The Royal Ontario Museum, in Toronto, Canada 

(c) Elliot Lewis

Opened in 1914, the Royal Ontario Museum showcases art, culture and nature from around the world and across the ages. Among the top 10 cultural institutions in North America, Canada’s largest and most comprehensive museum is home to a world-class collection of 18 million artworks, cultural objects and natural history specimens, featured in 40 gallery and exhibition spaces.

As the country’s preeminent field research institute and an international leader in new discoveries, ROM plays a vital role in advancing our understanding of the artistic, cultural and natural world. Combining its original heritage architecture with the contemporary Daniel Libeskind-designed Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, ROM serves as a national landmark, and a dynamic cultural destination in the heart of Toronto for all to enjoy.

With the expansion, a new group entrance on Queen’s Park was created where visitors enter a spectacular atrium in which the two themes of the Museum, nature and culture, are distinctly showcased through intertwining staircases leading to the exhibitions above.

The Crystal presented a unique challenge to build and was among the most complicated construction projects in North America. There are no right angles and only one vertical wall in the structure—the five crystals are designed as interlocking self-supported structures. The design teams and general contractors developed innovative strategies with existing technologies to regularize construction and reduce costs.

Opened in June 2007, the extension provides 100,000 square feet of new exhibition space, a new entrance and lobby, a street level retail shop and three new restaurants. 

Church of Sant Francesc Convent, in Santpedor, Spain

Located in the small Catalan town of Santpedor, the Sant Francesc convent has been rescued from the ruin with an interesting intervention by the architect David Closes. Built in the eighteenth century by the Franciscan priests, the convent had a turbulent life; sacked in 1835, the convent began to suffer a process of progressive deterioration of the building, finally being demolished in 2000. As a result only the church remained standing in a completely ruinous state.

The project was aimed to convert the Church into an auditorium and a multifunctional cultural facility. The intervention has consolidated the church without deleting the process of deterioration and collapse that the building had suffered.

The project has maintained the dimensions of the church interior space and, also, the unusual entries of natural light produced by partial roof collapses. The intervention preserves the historical heritage of the building and simultaneously adds new values which highlight and singularize the ancient church in a contemporary way. In the future, a final phase will complete the project by placing a historical archive on the upper floors of the south side of the church.

The Port House, in Antwerp, Belgium

The Port House is an architectural jewel and undoubtedly one of the most amazing and high-profile eye-catchers of the Antwerp skyline. It is the head office of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, and the workplace for 500 of its staff.

The renowned Zaha Hadid Architects firm delivered this astonishing masterpiece in 2016, as befitting a world port like Antwerp, and a symbolic gateway to the port area. At the Port House, the past and future of the port of Antwerp and Bruges come together.

The lower part used to be a fire station at the far end of the harbour. During the renovation, this beautiful barracks has been preserved and now this place is designated to be the beginning of the extensive port area.

The glass superstructure reflects the varying shades of port, water and air. The flat and rippling surfaces, alternating between each other, represent the waves of the Scheldt. The glistening diamond is a clear reference to the Antwerp diamond trade. This is a metaphor for the port of the 21st century: a port with a rich past, ready for the future.

The building is breathtaking on the inside too, thanks to a fascinating interplay of lines to be found on every floor, and gorgeous panoramic views.