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99% Invisible
99% Invisible

Spolia

August 25, 2026 • 28m

Summary

⏱️ 7 min read

Overview

This episode of 99% Invisible explores the ancient architectural practice of spolia—reusing materials from old buildings in new construction. The episode traces this practice from the crisis-era Roman Empire through to modern-day sustainable architecture, with a particular focus on how the Granby neighborhood in Liverpool transformed demolition debris into beautiful new building materials, challenging assumptions about what has value in our built environment.

The Decline of Granby: A Neighborhood Stripped of Value

The Granby neighborhood in South Liverpool was once vibrant and diverse, but by 2012, it had become nearly abandoned. The local government had forced residents to sell their homes, then systematically stripped and boarded them up, placing signs reading 'All items of value have been removed from this property.' However, a small group of residents refused to leave and began the slow work of reclaiming their neighborhood through community gardens and colorful paint, eventually forming a Community Land Trust to take ownership of the empty houses.

  • By 2012, Granby had only 10-12 residents living among a couple hundred empty houses
  • Government gutted houses before boarding them up to prevent squatting, removing toilets and infrastructure
  • Signs on every house read 'All items of value have been removed from this property'
  • Holdout residents formed a Community Land Trust to take ownership and renovate empty houses
" It's quite a provocation when every single house on the street says on it, no items of value in this house. "

Creating Granby Rock: Transforming Debris into Design

When architect Lewis Jones and the design collective Assemble joined the renovation project, they began experimenting with debris from the demolished houses. They created 'Granby Rock,' a rubble terrazzo made from broken bricks and slate that was recast as decorative fireplaces and countertops. This transformation proved the government signs wrong—there was immense value in these materials, both practical and symbolic, representing the neighborhood's history and resilience.

  • Assemble set up a backyard workshop with a local artist to experiment with construction debris
  • Granby Rock was made by recasting broken bricks and slate as decorative building components
  • Each piece was unique, swirled with color from old bricks and flecked with broken slate
  • Renovated houses featured fireplaces and countertops made from salvaged neighborhood materials
" It just felt important as part of kind of the process of reclaiming the narrative of these houses, of this neighborhood, that actually valuing everything that was there was important. "

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