Landmarks under repair

Have you ever been all geared up, ready to see the famous sights in your travels, only to arrive and find landmarks under repair, hidden behind tonnes of scaffolding?

All that time you spent making plans about when to go and how to get there. Not to mention the money you saved and the careful scheduling of your time away from work and family commitments. Then you arrive to find the one thing you didn’t factor. This most celebrated monument is undergoing a facelift or major repairs. This is the not so Instagramable side of travel.

So instead of the stark white marble, intricate details of stoneworks or a neoclassical monument, you see something new and different. It is now hidden behind tonnes of scaffolding. Sometimes enfolded in architectural mesh which is semi-transparent and at times, printed to mimic the original stonework or design.

 Now and then, this does not detract too much overall and preserves the impression of the landmarks under repair. At other times it is in vain and clearly obvious there is something new and different about the skyline.

Whilst century old buildings are crumbling with age, others have been damaged by natural disasters of earthquake, tsunami, cyclone or hurricane. We rarely stop and consider what it takes to preserve these old treasures that are falling apart and numerous times I’ve heard people complain about their ruined photo opportunity.

Despite landmarks undergoing major repairs or cleaning, we have wandered around the Acropolis, seen inside Sainte-Chapelle, Hagia Sophia and others and taken incredible photos at every location. Though I must say we were a little surprised at what we found when we arrived in Singapore in 2012. The national icon and much loved figure, Merlion, in preparation for her 40th birthday celebrations was in need of a spruce up. We arrived and found her enshrined in scaffolding with a banner announcing she was ‘on holiday’.

Sure sometimes you have to be creative, but a few tonnes of scaffolding should never be a reason not to see the sites. After all, the scaffolding and cranes surrounding the Familia Sagrada is not deterring the increasing queue of tourists wanting to see the world’s most famous ‘work in progress’.

It leaves me speechless that some consider travel a means to follow a “top 10 list” and would bypass a city if they knew in advance of major renovations. If you get out on foot, you will find that most cities have so much more to offer than the few sites mentioned in the first page of your travel guide. Get out and about, meet the people, sample the food, soak up the atmosphere and feel what it would have been like there all those years ago. But that’s just my opinion.

One of the major restorations that took place recently in Rome was the Trevi Fountain. There had been concerns regarding the safety of Trevi so Fendi struck a deal injecting funds to restore in return for display of their logo during the repairs and was granted permission to erect a plague for 4 years afterwards. It might anger conservationists and annoy tourist but is an ideal solution for cash strapped Rome city authorities. The fountain, visited by millions each year, was under wraps for 18 months, but when the works were completed and the fountain refilled, the tradition of throwing a coin can continue for generations to come.

There is no easy way, whether it be a multi million dollar restoration or routine maintenance. Cleaning, repairing damage or preserving these heritage landmarks all takes time, planning and yes… scaffolding!

After all if we didn’t visit landmarks whilst they were covered in scaffolding nobody would have seen Sagrada Familia. The scheduled completion date for Sagrada Familia is anticipated to be 2026, in time for the centenary of Gaudi’s death. It will go on record to be the tallest cathedral in the world as soon as the spired are completed.

So how about you, would you choose another destination just because of a few restorations here and there? What landmarks under repair have you seen during your travels?

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