Remaking America: New Uses Old

Stressing that ""the single most important aspect of the preservation movement is . . . adapting old buildings to uses different from the ones for which they were originally intended,'' Diamonstein (Buildings Reborn, etc.) describes 48 adaptive reuse projects ``whose new functions and design changes not only are consonant with the original architecture and modern surroundings, but also enhance both.'' Reflecting geographic diversity and a variety of building typesresidential, commercial, recreationalher representative sampling of innovative architectural compensations for changing needs includes a synagogue in St. Louis and a warehouse in Brooklyn that have been renovated into apartments, a one-time warehouse in Los Angeles that is now an art museum, the former house and office of a Philadelphia physician that have become law offices, and a Tucson home-turned-restaurant. ``Before'' and ``after'' photographs and drawings effectively complement a concise, perceptive narrative that vividly interweaves historical, architectural and anecdotal material. (November 14)