Demolition or Restoration: A Case Study

The decision of whether to repair (restore) or demolish-and-reconstruct a severely damaged building is not always obvious. Such decisions require not only regular inspection and design calculation, but rather long experience and practical judgment that needs to consider safety, serviceability, economy, and local conditions and constraints. In the case of Al-Amin Mosque in Gaza which was severely damaged during the war in July of 2014, two assessments were made. The first assessment classified the building as severely damaged and recommended the total removal of the building and reconstruction. However, another thorough investigation considering previous experience with similar cases and local conditions and constraints concluded the possibility of repairing and restoring the building. A cautious repairing program was successfully adopted which saved time and cost.