Free Online Talk - The Road To Restoration

As part of a micro-placement, University of Oxford student, Skye Fitzgerald McShane has been researching The road to the Crescent’s grand reopening . It comes after a journey of conservation filled with potholes, deviations and an eye watering amount of money. But the end result is a marriage of restoration and redevelopment that highlights the history of the building and breathes life into its original purpose as a spa hotel, which intervening centuries had deviated from in numerous exciting ways. This talk will explore the nuances and intricacies of conservation and heritage that the story of the revamping of The Crescent bring to light: deciding how to effectively marry history and utility, honouring the past yet finding usefulness for the present, and maintaining community connection whilst also looking outwards and gaining new visitors. It will historicise the usage of The Crescent today, and look broadly at the changing heritage landscape in the twenty-first century.