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Because of major advances in technology and global communication the world is shrinking. Political economies are reshaping cultural landscapes today and as a result the destruction of place is becoming the norm. This chapter is a starting point in a study that will investigate how South African interior interventions in historical buildings may be approached in order to counter this process of place eradication. There exists a fragile link between heritage and innovation in historical buildings. This link is the realm of the interior architect. How they approach the tension between the static historical building and the dynamic contemporary interior will be the focus of this study. The tension between a static and dynamic conceptualisation of space is not new. Some argue that space is ‘finite and subservient to geometry’ where others argue that space is ‘becoming’. This tension is an ongoing concern as it relates to people’s being-in-the-world. On the one hand it stands for place, dwelling and commonality and on the other hand for space and mobility. This study intends to confront this tension by investigating the reciprocal relationships between historical buildings, contemporary interior interventions and exhibition content, by drawing on phenomenological contributions on meaning, sensory perception, memory and imagination