After the revolution
The function of a building ages the fastest. This principle also does not bypass socially or historically important centers of power, associated with the persistence of specific political systems, none of which, after all, is eternal. Since the residences of historical rulers can become museums, in view of the pressing housing issue in many countries, one can imagine a situation where a palace owned by a monarch retains a residential function - but as a multi-family building, for groups of residents with different incomes, ages, mobility or lifestyles.
Affordable Palace | Logement sociaux à Buckingham Palace | Opposite Office | France 2
A similar premise guided Munich-based architects Opposite Office, authors of the Affordable Palace concept - transforming Buckingham Palace into social housing. The Affordable Palace is intended by the authors as a metaphor for today's housing crisis, rooted in a capitalism based on constant growth. The project is a voice against the treatment of housing as a tool of speculation and investment, and a reminder that housing should be a right, not a commodity.
Affordable Palace
© Opposite Office, 2019
Buckingham Palace 's expansive spaces have been divided into bedrooms with shared living rooms. Private single and double rooms would open onto shared dining and living rooms in one huge co-living system. The authors estimate that up to 50,000 people could be offered housing in this way. Folding screens and walls could be used to repurpose the space according to the current needs of the residents. Eight spectacular staircases would descend through the historic palace, in such a way that the queen could meet her new "roommates" during daily life in the building's common areas.
