One thousand years or more: Reusing stones from the Thames river wall

This paper asks whether re-imagining the conventional understanding of components as subsidiary to structures and architecture could open new avenues for the multiple cycling of components within the built environment. This presents demands and opportunities to evolve the relationship between structures, architecture and material resource ecologies in ways that can enrich our built environment and reduce environmental impacts. A stone reuse project in the City of London, involving large granite stones from Joseph Bazelgette’s C19^th Thames River Wall, addresses these issues. The project outcomes are evaluated, and the broader implications discussed.