In the field of architectural heritage conservation, there is a rising voice which calls attention to the concept and practice of critical conservation. This trend argues that heritage conservation should not be an isolated academic field or a kind of independent event, nor should it be detached from the life of the cities and regions where they are located. Rather, the value of heritage exists diversely in people's mind and is reflected by it instead of existing merely in the object-in-itself. In this issue of Heritage Architecture, we select a set of articles in the 'Special Focus' and 'Theory and History' columns to address a thematic discussion on this topic.
The 'Special Focus' column of this issue includes two articles. One is 'Theoretical and Practical Arguments for Values-Centered Preservation' by Professor Randall Mason from the University of Pennsylvania. In this article, Mason borrows the words of David Lowenthal that in modern society, the relationship with the past is not a given, but has to be constructed. Thus, historic preservation should be the urbanistic impulse in pursuit of solutions addressing broader social goals. He further points out that historic preservation should not only end at the solution of practical problems through inward technical means but also intervene in the social process through outward 'memory cultures'. In this sense, he states that 'Historic preservation is one of the deliberate ways that culture is shaped in modern society'. This article undoubtedly opens a window for us to see the future of historic preservation.
The Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate Wang Shu's article 'City Revival by Chinese Original Architecture' talks about the preservation and renovation project of Zhongshan Road in Hangzhou. As the chief architect of the project, Wang believes that the lively historical urban form could only exist in the collage of the old and the new. Thus, the alteration and addition of the historical buildings made in different time periods and by different groups of people should be carefully preserved even if they were often referred to as 'junk'. Regarding architectural form, Wang despises the favor for 'style revival' and fake antique, and argues for the 'coexistence of the old and the new, and harmony in diversity'. His authentic attitude towards heritage earns justification for his 'native original architecture' in both moral and professional aspects, and secures space for innovative designs.
This issue's 'Theory and History' contains three articles. First is 'Conserving Living Heritage of Asia-Pacific Region in the Context of Cultural Diversity' by Professor Lyu Zhou from Tsinghua University. From the perspective of the World Heritage Lists, this article reviews the Venice Charter, Burra Charter, Nara Document on Authenticity, and Hoi An Protocols, to explain the development of the concepts of cultural diversity and living heritage in Asia-Pacific region during the past few decades. This column also contains two articles on vernacular architecture in which cultural diversity is especially evident. One is 'Vernacular Architecture Studies in England' by Adam Menuge, the Course Director of M.St. in Building History in the Faculty of Architecture and History of Art at University of Cambridge. The other is 'Vernacular Architecture in the United Kingdom' by James W. P. Cambell, the Director of Studies in Architecture and History of Art at Queens' College of the University of Cambridge. Menuge's article reflects on the lessons of the 1950s' urban renewal which resulted in the demolition of many vernacular architectural heritages in British towns, while Cambell's article provides a broad outline of the 1000-year history of housing in Britain.
The Warfield Column of this issue is titled 'Natural Materials and Local Identity', which provides a plain depiction of the locality of vernacular architecture. The 'Project Analysis' column of this issue features the article studying the Japanese World Heritage 'Gassho-style house in the Shiragawa Village', contributed by Matumoto Keita, an officer of Shiragawa Village, and Miyazawa Satoshi, honorary professor at Nagaoka Institute of Design. Through a large number of details derived from comprehensive archival and field studies, this article focuses on the two times of disassembling and reconstruction of the former Yamamoto House, revealing the transformation of the Gassho-style house form in time and space during the modern period. This column also contains two articles on the Bai Ethnic Minority vernacular architecture, i.e. 'Study on Building Technique Mnemonic Rhymes of Jianchuan Craftsman System in Northwest Yunnan' by Bin Huizhong, an associate professor at Shanghai University, and 'Research on the Spatial Concepts of Bai Ethnic Minority Vernacular Dwellings' by Shao Lu, lecturer at Tongji University. As to the issue that how can modern architecture express the regional characteristics and local identity of vernacular architecture, our part-time editor Pan Yue attempts to give a preliminary analysis through the review of the book Modern Architecture and the Mediterranean: Vernacular Dialogues and Contested Identities.
At the end of the issue is the article on the conservation of the frescoes in the Chapel of Our Lady of Guia in Macao, contributed by Dai Shibing, Director of the Architectural Conservation Laboratory of Tongji University, and his research group. The article introduces the indoor climate monitoring and analysis, discusses the mapping methods and material pathology, and proposes an emergency conservation procedure accordingly.