noun
former state; former appearance; old look
Refers to how something looked or was in the past, often used when contrasting with the present. Somewhat literary or formal.
戦災で町は旧観を失った。
The town lost its former appearance due to war damage.
復元された城は旧観をよくとどめている。
The restored castle retains much of its original look.
Compound of 旧 (old, former) and 観 (appearance, view). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used in written Japanese to describe the former state or appearance of something.