Architectsusually trytocreate»finished«buildings,i.e.coherentworksofarchitecturefor eternity.Butdoesthisclaimstanduptoreality? Shouldthatbetheclaimatall? Afterall,itcan- notberuledoutthatthebuildingwillchangeaftercompletion.Inspiredbyreferencesfromarchitecturalhistory,artandanthropology,theyoung Kaiser Shenstudiodevelopedvariousthesesat thebeginningofitspracticeandtestedthemon thebasisofitsownprojects.Centraltothisisthequestionofhowbuildingschangeintheir lifespanduetoexternalinfluencesandwhatthis changemeansforpermanenceinarchitecture andfortheideaofspace.

Inearliertimes,itwascommonpracticeto buildonexistingstructures.Thus,inmostbuildingsthathavesurvivedforseveralcenturies, countlesslayersoftimeoverlap.Thiscanbe seenparticularlyclearlyintheadditionsandconversionsofchurchesforexample.Duetonew frameworkconditionsandrequirementsforuse, buildingswerealwayspragmaticallydeveloped furtherinthecurrentlyvalidarchitecturalstyle. Often,onlyexpertsareabletodistinguishbe- tweenthedifferenttimeperiods.Onlyafewbuildingsareconsideredsooutstandingbysociety thattheyareconservedandmusealisedina

fixedtimelayer.However,suchconservationis ratherunnaturalandcanonlybejustifiedinexceptionalcases.Inthisbook,therefore,promisingstrategiesaretobepointedoutastohow»unfinished«houses,withroomslackingspecial qualities,canbefurtherbuiltandadaptedtothepresentframeworkconditions.

ForAtelier Kaiser Shen,agoodstructure meansdevelopingafuture-proofspatialidea, andthiscannotbereducedtothesupporting structure.Whenbuildingfurther,itshouldbe possibletobuildonthisarchitectural-spatial idea.Sinceaconversioncanevendestroyitin extremecases,itisimportanttocreateapotentialthatisrecognisedandtakenupbythose whocontinuetobuild.Ideally,thebuildingshouldhavesuchastrongspatialideathatit cansurvivefuturerenovationsandstill beviable.