Façadisme

   Façadisme is an architectural device by which the interior of a building is gutted and remodeled while the exterior is kept intact. Also known as faux vieux (literally, "false old"), the technique arose toward the end of the 1980s and stemmed in part from public pressure to halt destruction of landmark structures (brusselization). In adopting the device, planners have been able to meet demands by real estate speculators for updated properties while satisfying the concerns of urban preservationists. Façadisme is evident in numerous buildings in the city's historic center, where, behind an authentic baroque or neoclassical façade, modern office and residential spaces have been installed. The neoclassical frontages on buildings around the place des Martyrs conceal a theater, cultural center, office, and apartments.

   See also Architecture.