A comprehensive examination of reuse and transformation in recent Western architectural culture that features case studies from Danish architecture and innovation firm 3XN GXN.

Many buildings from the late twentieth century no longer meet today’s cultural, economic, and technical requirements. Yet, in times of climate change, global instability, and massive urbanization, we cannot afford to waste what has already been built. Many of these structures fall outside traditional preservation efforts—too new for historic reverence, too unfashionable for contemporary appreciation, and too problematic for straightforward renovation. In short: they are unloved.

Today, building new no longer represents progress. Being truly progressive in the twenty-first century means to tread as lightly as possible on the planet. Thus, retaining, reusing, and transforming the built environment is becoming increasingly relevant to architects worldwide.

Unloved Buildings contributes to an urgent discourse about the shifting role of architecture within society and inspires a design culture that exercises greater care for existing buildings on both social and material levels. Through four critical lenses—the cultural heritage of reuse, the environmental cost of building, the economic forces shaping our cities, and the design strategies that enable transformation—the book outlines why and how we can extend the lifespan of buildings.