One example of crazy protection I've seen recently is this piece in Paris: https://danielfeau.com/fr/archive/annonce/3495936 it's has no archtectural value, has no history, has been abandonned for 30 years, is really in bad shape, in the most central part of the city, and doesn't even have the same style as surrounding streets... but the rules are for the new buyer to restore it as it is: can't build anything new, can't change shape or size, ... I mean, sure it wouldn't be nice to have a pink/green ultra-strange new building there, but there are ways to make something nicer than what is currently there