Dirty preservation: An experimental counterpractice

Abstract

Due to pressure of economic growth and a drive towards newness, the built environment is suffering from an accelerated process of breaking, going out of style, and being replaced by something new – a broken system which will result in the demolition of 2 billion square meters of built space in Europe by 2050 (HouseEurope!, 2025). This thesis departs from a frustration with the destructive cycles of redevelopment and takes the stance that even dirty and overlooked buildings must be preserved. This statement requires a profound shift within the preservation practice, which usually includes objects of undisputed cultural and historical significance. The question is then, what happens when we declare an “insignificant” building to be an object worthy of preservation, care and affection? To test out an alternative method of preservation, an abandoned boiler plant from the 1950s, located in a Stockholm suburb, was chosen as subject of interest for this thesis. The building awaits demolition and shows apparent signs of neglect and decay. Elevating the building and looking at it as a cultural heritage object, conventional methods of monument documentation and evaluation are applied. The process is driven forward by smudging the conventional practice with critical theory, messing with its norms and expected outcomes, all with the aim to develop a morphed and dirty preservation method which can generate new perspectives on value, as well as new modes to preserve.

Acting as dirty preservationists, our objective has not been to reprogram or transform the building, but to remain with the uncertainty of evaluation and care. By applying preservation methods typically reserved for undisputed heritage to a neglected boiler plant, we question what qualifies as worth preserving. The resulting instructions – based on repair, reconstruction, and site-sourced materials – are shaped by care rather than economic gain. This thesis argues for a broader, more inclusive understanding of heritage, one that treats the overlooked as valuable and preservation as a creative, reparative force rather than a conservative one.