HERITAGE CONSERVATION

Heritage or Pamana

Legacy from the past what we live with today and what we pass on to future generations serving as irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration

Cultural Heritage

An expression of the ways of living developed by a community and passed on from generation to generation including customs practices places objects artistic expressions and values

Tangible Cultural Heritage

The physical remains kept in the present for the benefit of future generations categorized into movable and immovable heritage

Movable Cultural Heritage

Tangible heritage that can be transported such as paintings sculptures furniture wall paintings and documents

Immovable Cultural Heritage

Tangible heritage that cannot be moved such as historical buildings monuments and archeological sites

Intangible Cultural Heritage

The practices representations expressions knowledge and skills transmitted from generation to generation that provide a sense of identity and continuity

Domains of Intangible Heritage

Includes oral traditions performing arts social practices rituals festivities knowledge concerning nature and traditional craftsmanship

Natural Heritage

Refers to physical biological and geological formations habitats of threatened species and areas with scientific conservation and aesthetic value

Cultural Landscapes

Places that represent the significant interactions between people and the natural environment expressing a long and intimate relationship

Clearly Defined Landscape

A category of cultural landscape intentionally designed and created by man such as garden and parkland landscapes constructed for aesthetic reasons

Organically Evolved Landscape

A cultural landscape developed by association with and in response to its natural environment resulting from a social economic administrative or religious imperative

Relict or Fossil Landscape

An organically evolved landscape where the evolutionary process came to an end in the past but its distinguishing features are still visible in material form

Continuing Landscape

An organically evolved landscape retaining an active social role in contemporary society where the evolutionary process is still in progress alongside material evidence over time

Associative Cultural Landscape

A landscape justified by the powerful religious artistic or cultural associations of the natural element rather than material cultural evidence

Rizal Park Manila

An example of an associative cultural landscape containing both natural and built landscape elements

Conservation

All the processes of looking after a place so as to retain its cultural significance or an act to stabilize the condition of materials to preserve them

Integrity

A measure of wholeness and intactness of a heritage resource and its attributes to secure sustain and convey its significance

Significance

The value of heritage to past present and future generations

Preservation

Maintaining a place in its existing state and retarding deterioration through preventive maintenance

Restoration

Returning a place to a known earlier state by removing accretions or by reassembling existing elements without the introduction of new materials

Reconstruction

Returning a place to a known earlier state distinguished from restoration by the introduction of new material

Adaptation or Adaptive Reuse

Changing a place to suit the existing use or a proposed use with minimal impact on its cultural significance

Relocation

Moving a culturally significant resource to another site as a last resort when all other options have been exhausted

Consolidation

The physical addition or application of materials that strengthen or support the actual fabric of the monument or building to ensure its continued durability or structural integrity

Addition

A modification which involves the introduction of new materials

Alteration

Any act or process that changes one or more of the exterior architectural features of a structure including erection construction reconstruction or removal

Compatible Use

A use which respects the cultural significance of a place

Integrated Conservation

Achieved by the application of sensitive restoration techniques and the correct choice of appropriate functions in the context of a historic area

Intervention

Involves maintenance stabilization repair restoration reconstruction or adaptation applied to parts or components of a structure or site

Maintenance

The continuous protective care of the fabric and setting of a place which is distinguished from repair

Repair

An action that involves restoration or reconstruction

Redevelopment

The insertion of contemporary structures or additions sympathetic to the setting

Facadism

A conservation approach where a certain portion of the facade of a historic structure is retained

Rehabilitation

The process of returning a property to a state of utility through repair or alteration making possible an efficient contemporary use while preserving significant features

Remodeling

A drastic renovation without regard to its original state authentic whole and the past

Renovation

The adaptation and possible beautification of the structure to make it useful and serve modern needs where retention of cultural significance may not be considered

Built Heritage

Man made structures from the past that are of value to the community embodying technical and architectural knowledge

Contemporary building

Structures within the historic site built from the 1950s onwards but part of the historic layering of the evolution of the site

Historic buildings

Buildings at least fifty years old that are of general interest because of their aesthetic value scientific interest or cultural historical significance

Historic resources

Includes historically significant buildings landscapes and places or objects that possess exceptional value or quality

Monuments

Buildings structures sculptures or historic sites of national historical significance placed under the protection and designation of appropriate authorities

Place

A site area land landscape building or other work including components contents spaces and views

Landmark

A property or structure designated by national legislation that is worthy of rehabilitation restoration and preservation because of its significance

Open space

Refers to open space within a site of cultural significance

Gardens and parks

Refers to parks and landscapes within the site of cultural significance

Fabric

All the physical material of the place including components fixtures contents and objects

Intrusive element

A disruptive element of slight significance which tends to devaluate the significance of the other components

Layering

Components of a historic site or monument or building that pertains to its historic evolution expressed in either layout style or materials

Period style

An architectural characteristic either interior or exterior style representing a given era of cultural significance

Cultural Significance

Refers to the qualities that make a place important embracing aesthetic historic scientific social or spiritual value for past present and future generations

Conservation Challenge

Striking a balance to protect significance by weighing material authenticity versus design authenticity

Rarity

A degree of significance demonstrating rare uncommon or endangered aspects of the cultural heritage

Representativeness

A degree of significance demonstrating the characteristics of a class or cultural places or environs

Association

The special connection that exists between people and places

Interpretation

All the ways of presenting the cultural significance of a place

Meanings

Denotes what a place signifies indicates evokes or expresses

Aesthetic or Architectural Value

Significance in exhibiting particular aesthetic characteristics architectural innovations and representations of built heritage

Historical Value

Significance where the place was the site of an important event or associated to an important personage or organization in history

Social Value

Significance where a site has become a focus for a spiritual political or national cultural sentiment and provides a forum for gathering and a sense of belonging

Religious Sacred or Symbolic Value

Significance where the place provides a venue for expression and practice of spirituality and ideology

Scientific or Technological Value

Significance demonstrating a high degree of technical innovation or the potential to yield information about natural or cultural history

Weathering

A natural environmental process that subjects built heritage to continuous deterioration

Ageing process

The natural continuous deterioration of a building simply due to the passage of time

Consumption by use or fashion

Deterioration dependent on the type of structure and material or modifications due to changes in function and taste

Natural calamities

Risks such as earthquakes and floods that continue to cause irreparable damage and destruction of historic buildings

Armed conflict

Damage to heritage caused by humankind including wars revolutions conquests willful damage and demolition

Desertion

The abandonment of entire cities and regions caused by the exhaustion of resources or political decisions such as the resort town of Varosha in Cyprus

Destruction by robbers and plunder

Willful damage and looting of heritage sites such as the Bamiyan buddhas destroyed by the Taliban

Restorers in England

Concerned about faithful restoration and reconstruction of the original architectural form emphasizing practical and functional aspects

Anti restorationist

Conscious of historic time insisting that it is not possible to recreate a specific historic context so the task is to protect and conserve the authentic original material

Sir George Gilbert Scott

The most successful Victorian architect and church restorer who advocated Conservatism as the keynote of restoration preserving all various styles and irregularities

John Ruskin

An English art critic who argued that restoration is destruction and that ancient buildings should be preserved without erasing the accumulated history encoded in their decay

Ruskin view on restoration

Believed that it is impossible to restore anything that has ever been great or beautiful because the spirit of the dead workman cannot be summoned up

Ruskin view on imitation

Hated imitations and insisted that both building materials and working methods must be honestly what they appear to be without fakes

Building according to Ruskin

Actual construction according to the requirements of intended use

Architecture according to Ruskin

Artistic treatment that adds to the aesthetic appreciation of the building contributing to mental health power and pleasure

The Seven Lamps of Architecture

Written by John Ruskin containing the seven fundamental laws to be observed by any conscientious architect and builder

The Lamp of Sacrifice

Dedication of mans craft to God and visible proofs of mans love and obedience

The Lamp of Truth

Handcrafted and honest display of materials and structure

The Lamp of Power

Buildings should be thought of in terms of their massing and organization of physical effort

The Lamp of Beauty

Aspiration towards God expressed in ornamentation drawn from nature

The Lamp of Life

Buildings should be made by human hands so that the joy of masons and stone carvers is associated with expressive freedom

The Lamp of Memory

Buildings should respect the culture from which they have developed

The Lamp of Obedience

No originality for its own sake but conforming to the finest existing values specifically the English Early Decorated Gothic style

Henry Dryden

Defined restoration as putting something into a state different from that in which we find it but similar to that in which it once was recommending no attempt at deception

Scott categories of ancient architectural remains

Mere antiquities Ruins of ecclesiastical or secular buildings Buildings in use and Fragmentary ancient remains in modern buildings

Scott view on Ruins

Needed urgent action due to rapid decay where any new work should be rough and made of old materials but not masked so it is manifest that it is only added to sustain the structure

Scott Beau ideal of restoration

Restoration carried out in a tentative and gradual manner trying how little will do rather than going on any bold system using small contracts

RIBA Guidelines for Conservation

Published practical rules and suggestions in 1865 regarding conservation based mainly on Gilbert Scott paper

RIBA Recommendations

Included carrying out a careful archeological survey photographing before works started conserving anything of value in situ and forbidding the scraping of old surfaces

Sidney Colvin

Emphasized that a building is a work of art bearing the marks of time and that old workmanship is more beautiful than new

John James Stevenson

A Scottish architect who insisted that manufactured documents of a later date were a falsification and had a reverence for absolute authenticity

William Morris

Wrote a letter opposing destructive restoration which led to the founding of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings where he served as honorary secretary

SPAB

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings founded on March 22 1877 which united forces against conjectural restoration and formed the basis for modern conservation policy

SPAB Philosophy

Promoted conservative repair to stave off decay by daily care and considered any attempt at copying as the creation of a fake

Sir John Lubbock

A founding member of SPAB who worked on the preparation of a Bill for Parliament to obtain legal protection for ancient monuments

Ancient Monuments Act

Became law on August 18 1882 limiting protection to tumuli dolmens or stone circles of outstanding importance

Authenticity

The measure of a heritage resource being truly what it is claimed to be