From the Railway Station in Nairobi to Makerere University in Kampala, East Africa is home to several grand, colonial-era buildings.

Unfortunately, we seem unable to bridge the chasm between upgrading buildings for modern use and maintaining their peculiar historical character. As a result, many, including ironically the City Hall, are often neglected and then, when renovated, are brutally stripped of their original character. Thankfully, there are global principles and standards of historic preservation to guide us as we protect these architectural gems.

First, we need to systematically designate certain buildings as historically significant. To be worthy of preservation, a building should either have distinctive features of a particular period or be associated with significant events or people in our collective history. To be capable of preservation, a building must also have integrity: the majority of the building's structural system should date from the designated time and most of its key character-defining features, such as ornamental features and architectural details, should be intact. Buildings like the Nairobi City Hall, as well as many educational institutions like Alliance High School and others, are likely to automatically qualify for preservation. However, many private businesses, hospitals and homes may also qualify and property owners should be aware of this potential.

Now the hard work begins. In preserving, it is important to respect the historic design character of the building and treat distinctive stylistic features or craftsmanship with sensitivity. Before doing any construction on a historically preserved building, it is critical to first research the history of the building, identifying those elements that are original and those that have been altered. At implementation stage, one can then repair deteriorated historic features, replacing those elements that cannot be repaired. At the same time, one has to be aware of modern-day constraints, such as disability access, that can subtly be incorporated into the updated design.

Back then to Nairobi City Hall. It is likely that with wear and tear and even fire damage, contractors were retained simply to repair and update.

The result is a loud clash of concepts, often covered under the ubiquitous red carpet that we seem to associate with pomp. Research will need to determine what was originally there and what has only been recently added. Then, some of this later incongruent work will need to be removed and missing historical features replaced. This will return the appearance of the building to its original harmony. Not only will this secure its grandeur for future generations, but if thoughtfully designed, can serve as an educational and recreational museum that can generate revenue for the city.

Dr. Macharia is principal of Scion Real.