Architectural grafting, a concept recently popularized by Jeanne Gang in The Art of Architectural Grafting, presents a transformative approach to urban regeneration and sustainability. Drawing inspiration from botanical and horticultural practices — where new growth is added to existing plants for enhanced resilience — this architectural method integrates new structures with existing ones, allowing them to coexist and adapt. Rather than pursuing demolition, grafting prioritizes adaptation, extending the life of buildings while safeguarding their cultural and historical significance.
While Studio Gang has played a pivotal role in advancing this method, architectural grafting embodies a broader principle that architects have long used to enhance sustainability, conserve resources, and honor heritage. Across scales — from individual buildings to urban landscapes —grafting reshapes the relationship between past and present, adapting existing structures for contemporary needs while addressing environmental demands. By reimagining historic buildings for modern use, this approach fosters a sustainable evolution of cityscapes.
As cities face growing environmental pressures, architectural grafting emerges as a compelling strategy, merging preservation with innovation to build urban landscapes that respect their past while adapting responsibly for the future.
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The concept of architectural grafting finds clear expression in projects like the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation at the American Museum of Natural History. Here, Studio Gang introduced new organic, cave-like forms that seamlessly connect the museum's existing wings, creating a dynamic and immersive environment demonstrating how architecture can adapt and evolve without erasing the past. The expansion enhances the museum's educational mission by respecting the original structure while introducing dynamic new elements, showcasing Studio Gang's ability to innovate within established contexts. The Gilder Center is a case study of how integrating new elements with existing architecture can reinforce the mission of a space without erasing its history, at the same time, it encourages architects to see existing structures not as limitations but as opportunities for creative adaptation using them as foundations for future development.
Another significant manifestation of this philosophy is seen in the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. Studio Gang's approach to the museum was to reimagine and revitalize the existing structure rather than demolish it. The design integrates new architectural elements with the museum's original 1937 Art Deco building and subsequent additions, creating a unified and dynamic space that respects its historical layers. By carefully grafting new forms onto the existing structure, the project allows the old and new to interact, preserving the building's legacy while updating it for contemporary use. The result is a seamless blend of past and present, where new construction supports the original framework, enhancing its function and visual identity.
In The Art of Architectural Grafting, Gang proposes that grafting is about environmental sustainability and fosters interaction with architecture's historical and cultural stories. By layering new designs onto established frameworks, architects can create spaces that respect the past and engage with contemporary needs. This nuanced approach to urban development allows architecture to evolve alongside its surroundings, promoting a sustainable, adaptable, and regenerative practice.
Grafting: Expanding the Practice
Grafting as a concept has deep roots in architectural history. In Medieval Europe, cathedrals expanded gradually over time, with new additions integrated into existing structures. Today, architects continue this tradition, blending heritage with modern elements to create dynamic and functional spaces — reimagining them and creating dynamic projects that bridge the past and present while addressing new functional and aesthetic demands. Through subtle interventions or bold juxtapositions, these examples show that grafting fosters continuity and reinvention, encouraging a deeper engagement with architecture's past while looking toward the future.
One prominent example is the MAXXI Museum in Rome, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. Built on the site of a former military barracks, the museum embodies the idea of grafting by weaving new, fluid architectural forms through the rigid, linear remnants of the old structure. Hadid's design doesn't erase the past. Still, it uses it as a framework, interlacing dynamic pathways and gallery spaces that draw visitors through the complex, creating a sense of movement and continuity. The result is a building that respects its historical context while introducing a bold, modern architectural language, illustrating how grafting can transform existing sites into vibrant cultural destinations.
The Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac in Paris, designed by Jean Nouvel, takes a different approach to grafting by integrating its architecture with the surrounding landscape. The museum, dedicated to Indigenous art, appears to emerge organically from its site, with lush greenery climbing its facade. Nouvel's design is a metaphorical graft, blending the natural environment with the built form, creating a fluid transition between the urban context of the Seine riverbank and the cultural artifacts housed within it.
David Chipperfield Architects' Neues Museum in Berlin is another example. The museum, originally built in the 19th century, was heavily damaged during World War II. Rather than reconstructing the building to its former state, Chipperfield adopted a grafting approach by carefully preserving the ruins and inserting new architectural elements. The design maintains the scars of the past, juxtaposing them with modern additions, which are subtly integrated yet distinctly new. This sensitive blending of restoration and innovation respects the building's history, acknowledging its narrative while adapting it to contemporary functions.
The CaixaForum in Madrid by Herzog & de Meuron, originally a power station, was reimagined as a cultural center by grafting new structures onto the original industrial framework. The architects lifted the old brick facade, creating a striking visual effect where the building appears to hover above ground level, and added a contemporary rusted steel extension atop it. This intervention preserved the site's industrial heritage while introducing a new spatial dynamic, making the CaixaForum a versatile cultural hub that merges history with modern design.
OMA's intervention at the Fondaco dei Tedeschi in Venice was originally a 13th-century trading post that underwent various transformations before becoming a department store in the 21st century. The careful insertion of escalators, glass floors, and viewing platforms graft contemporary elements onto the existing framework, enhancing the building's utility without disrupting its architectural integrity. By emphasizing adaptive reuse, the project exemplifies how grafting can transform heritage sites into dynamic, multipurpose spaces.
The Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, is perhaps one of the most ambitious examples of architectural grafting. The project involved the transformation of a massive, unused warehouse into a world-class concert hall. Instead of demolishing the warehouse, the architects grafted a striking, wave-like glass structure onto its brick facade, creating a dramatic contrast between old and new. This design not only preserved the industrial heritage of the site but also redefined it, turning the Elbphilharmonie into a cultural landmark.
Grafting as a Framework for Urban Resilience
Grafting is not just an architectural tool but can be applied on an urban scale to enhance cities' resilience and adaptability. By introducing new elements while respecting existing structures, urban grafting allows for the renewal and transformation of city spaces without erasing their history. This approach treats cities as evolving ecosystems, where thoughtful interventions can strengthen social, environmental, and spatial connections, making urban environments more flexible and responsive to contemporary challenges.
Urban grafting, much like its architectural counterpart, starts with what already exists to create a better future. While this approach might seem straightforward enough to go without saying, behind its simple practicality is a radical heart and a deliberate divergence from an attitude that persists within design culture. To understand urban grafting, it is helpful to first describe what it is not. Jeanne Gang, The Art of Architectural Grafting
The WMS Boathouse at Clark Park, another project by Studio Gang, illustrates urban grafting by reconnecting Chicagoans with the river through a design that harmonizes with the natural landscape. Studio Gang's boathouse, with its sawtooth roof mirroring the river's flow, captures light and fosters ecological health. Existing habitats were preserved and enriched with native grasses, plants, and trees, while silt fabric prevented erosion during construction, helping to soften the river's edge and set a model for ecological revitalization. These strategies create inviting public space, enhancing connectivity and resilience without altering the river's historic character.
A different but equally impactful example is Copenhagen's Superkilen, designed by BIG, Topotek1, and Superflex. Set in a diverse neighborhood, the park integrates new playgrounds, green areas, and cultural artifacts into the existing framework, celebrating community identity through grafted elements. Superkilen uses this strategy to blend different cultural influences into a cohesive public space, fostering inclusivity and adaptability.
The La Défense Seine Arche project in Paris also illustrates urban grafting principles. This large-scale development added r residential, cultural, and commercial spaces to La Défense's corporate district. The integration of mixed-use buildings within a traditionally business-focused area transformed it into a more inclusive, adaptable urban environment, highlighting the flexibility and functionality that urban grafting can bring to city planning.
A Legacy of Change
Grafting embodies a progressive approach to architecture, transforming existing structures into more resilient, adaptable, and functional spaces. By skillfully integrating new elements into the fabric of the built environment, architects can craft designs that honor the past while addressing modern challenges. This approach reduces the need for new resources by extending the life of existing buildings, offering a sustainable alternative to demolition and new construction. It encourages a mindset where change is realized through thoughtful integration rather than replacement, allowing cities to grow and adapt without losing their character.
The benefits of grafting extend far beyond aesthetics and preservation. By reimagining how spaces are used, architects can significantly lower the environmental footprint of new development, advancing circular design principles that emphasize resourcefulness and durability. This regenerative approach views cities as dynamic, living systems capable of continuous evolution through strategic, incremental interventions. As more architects adopt grafting, they are building a legacy of change that prioritizes adaptability, sustainability, and a deeper, more enduring connection to the places we inhabit.
