There is a local Pasadena issue that's creating a conflict in the community regarding appropriate design for a property expansion in the City Center. It's the proposed expansion for All Saints Church, next to the City Hall. My discussion emphasizing the need for a vision as an opportunity for a design response is posted here.
New structures are commonly integrated into existing structures (ruins!) in Europe, but they respect the prior construction/design and "knit together" the old and the new contemporary design vocabulary. An example is Carlo Scarpa's Castelvecchio restoration/addition in Verona. I've been there twice now, have a lot of resource books on the guy, have been to almost all of his structures in Italy.
http://www.veronissima.com/sito_inglese/html/tour-museums-castelvecchio-scarpa.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castelvecchio_Museum
My photos:
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