Reintegration

Reintegration, in Turkish bütünleme, is the completion of parts of a historic building or element that have been lost, broken or collapsed over time. Replacing a missing voussoir, a broken length of moulding, an area of fallen plaster or a collapsed section of wall all fall under this heading. The aim is to restore the legibility and integrity of the building or element and, where necessary, its structural role.

Principles of reintegration

International conservation practice ties reintegration to a few core principles:

• Evidence: the completed part rests on proof, not guesswork; surveys, old photographs, archive documents or matching elements in the same building. Where there is no evidence, nothing is completed.
• Distinguishability: new work must harmonise with the whole but be distinguishable from the original on close inspection, through a slight difference in tone, a different surface finish or a fine dividing line.
• Compatible materials: materials must be physically and chemically compatible with the original and must not harm it.
• Restraint: only what is needed to understand and protect the building is completed.

Reintegration versus reconstruction

Reintegration completes the missing parts of a building that largely still stands. Reconstruction rebuilds a building or part that has disappeared, based on documents, and is a much larger intervention. A restitution study is the basic reference showing which parts can be reintegrated on firm evidence. In 3D models, showing reintegrated parts in a different colour or layer makes the decision clear in heritage board presentations.