The lecture was prepared as part of the 2020-2021 First Year Critical and Contextual Studies course at the University of Hertfordshire. The talk gives an introduction to the fields of reuse and preservation in architecture through notions of theory and a series of modern and contemporary projects. The multiple case studies explore different approaches to the notion of renewal, transformation and integration between old and new, as tools that enable buildings and cities to be reinterpreted. Ultimately these projects will allow the students/researchers to question contemporary issues of adaptation, sustainability and representation inherent to various forms of engagement with the existing built environment.