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The most interesting architectural phenomenon of the 1970s was the enthusiasm for refurnishing older building. Obviously, this was not an entirely new phenomenon. What is new is the whole scale in reusing the past, in recycling, in adaptive rehabilitation . A few trial efforts, such as Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, proved their financial feasibility in the 1960s, but it was in the 1970s, with strong government support through tax incentives and rapid depreciation , as well as growing interest in ecology issues, that recycling became a major factor on the urban scene. One of the most comprehensive ventures was the restoration and transformation of Bostons eighteenth century Faneuil Hall and the Quincy Market, designed in 1824. This section had fallen on hard times, but beginning with the construction of a new city hall immediately nearby, it has returned to life with the intelligent reuse of these fine old buildings under the design leadership of Benjamin Thompson. He has provided a marvelous setting for dining, shopping, professional office, and simply walking. Butler Square, in Minneapolis, serves as an example of major changes in its complex of offices, commercial space, and public amenities carved out of a massive pile designed in 1906 as a hardware warehouse. The exciting interior timber structure of the building was highlighted by cutting light courts through the interior and adding large skylights. San Antonio, Texas, offers a big object lesson for numerous other cities combating urban decay. Rather than bringing in the bulldozers , San Antonios leaders rehabilitated existing structures, while simultaneously cleaning up the San Antonio River, which runs through the business district. | 
