Word Heritage Papers 5 ; Identification and Documentation of Modern
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World Heritage papers5 Identification and Documentation of Modern Heritage Identification and Documentation of Modern Heritage Disclaimer The authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts contained in this publication and for the opinions therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. The designation employed and the presentation of the material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Published in 2003 by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre with financial contribution from the Netherlands Funds-in-Trust 7, place de Fontenoy 75352 Paris 07 SP France Tel : 33 (0)1 45 68 18 76 Fax : 33 (0)1 45 68 55 70 E-mail : [email protected] http://whc.unesco.org Compiled and edited by R. van Oers and S. Haraguchi Foreword Under the Global Strategy for a credible, balanced and representative World Heritage List, adopted by the World Heritage Committee in 1994, the World Heritage Centre is engaged in assisting States Parties that have few or no World Heritage sites to protect, preserve and nominate their heritage of outstanding universal value. Next to this, a pro-active approach is also taken with regard to the identification and documentation of less-represented categories of heritage for inclusion on the World Heritage List. One such category is Modern Heritage, which comprises the architecture, town planning and landscape design of the 19th and 20th centuries. As at May 2003, out of a total of 730 properties and sites on the World Heritage List, only 12 represent Modern Heritage; they are shown in this publication. In addition to reasons of representativity, in 2001 UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the Working Party on the Documentation and Conservation of buildings, sites and neighbourhoods of the Modern Movement (DOCOMOMO) started a joint programme for the identification, documentation and promotion of the built heritage of the modern era, because properties and sites under this category were considered to be under threat. They are increasingly subject to serious alteration or destruction, without a proper discussion and assessment of the values embedded in them. Next to rapid socio-economic changes in society demanding a different functional use, a poor understanding of the significance of these properties and sites plays an equally important role. In addition to traditional heritage categories, such as archaeological sites and monuments, also modern properties and sites need to be considered that are worthy of preservation and transmission to future generations for reasons of cultural identity in relation to aspects of continuity and change. In order to gain better understanding, raise public awareness and promote inscription of this category of heritage, study and evaluation of possibilities, establishment of criteria and selection of properties and sites is needed. To continue and complement the work done by ICOMOS in this field, two meetings were held at UNESCO Headquarters in February and October 2001 respectively to define direction and objectives for a Programme on Modern Heritage. The underlying publication contains the position papers that were written to facilitate the debate during the October 2001 expert meeting. Its aim is to present a framework of conceptual thinking on the signif- icance of Modern Heritage, its preservation and some of the pivotal issues concerning identification and valuation. This framework is guiding the various Regional Meetings on Modern Heritage currently under implementation by the World Heritage Centre, and should facilitate further, more concrete studies and exercises. Eventually, the combined results will be presented to the World Heritage Committee and the States Parties for recommendation, and disseminated to the general public for information and aware- ness building, to aim for a World Heritage List that reflects mankind’s heritage in all its diversity. Francesco Bandarin Director, UNESCO World Heritage Centre Paris, France 4 Table of Contents Foreword by Francesco Bandarin Page 3 Introduction to the Programme on Modern Heritage by Ron van Oers Page 7 Position papers defining visions and trends Page 15 L’impact de la modernisation économique et le patrimoine industriel par Louis Bergeron Page 17 Preserving and interpreting modern landscape architecture in the United States: Page 25 Recent developments (1995–2001) by Charles Birnbaum 2 Mobility – a story of floating heritage passing by by Luuk Boelens 3 Page 33 Innovation: A critical view by Franziska Bollerey 4 Page 43 Community building and representation by Sherban Cantacuzino 5 Page 51 Les ensembles urbains nouveaux de l’âge industriel par Jean-Louis Cohen 6 Page 63 The catalytic city: Between strategy and intervention by Kenneth Frampton 7 Page 71 The preservation of nineteenth- and twentieth-century heritage by Fabio Grementieri 8 Page 81 The heritage of modernism in South Africa by Derek Japha 9 Page 93 Continuity and change in recent heritage by Jukka Jokilehto 0 Page 101 How to evaluate, conserve and revitalize modern architecture in Asia Page 113 by Shin Muramatsu and Yasushi Zenno Changing views on colonial heritage by Pauline van Roosmalen 2 Page 121 Open spaces and landscapes: Some thoughts on their definition and preservation Page 133 by Marc Treib 3 Appendix A: Modern heritage properties on the World Heritage List (as at July 2002) Page 139 Appendix B: Research and documentation programme Page 141 Appendix C: Participants in the Meeting on Modern Heritage, Paris, October 2001 Page 145 Appendix D: Selected bibliography relating to modern heritage Page 149 Introduction to the Programme on Modern Heritage by Ron van Oers In early 2001 UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the Working Party on the Documentation and Conservation of buildings, sites and neigh- bourhoods of the Modern Movement (DOCOMOMO) launched a joint programme for the identification, documentation and promotion of the built heritage of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries – the Programme on Modern Heritage. This heritage is considered to be particularly vulnerable because of weak legal protection and low appreciation among the general public. These problems were recognized in December 1989 by a Council of Europe proposal, which stated a range of activities and recommenda- tions worldwide, partly focused on raising public awareness. With only twelve properties out of 730 relating to modern heritage (as at June 2002), this concept is currently poorly represented in the World Heritage List (see Annex A). An analysis of the justifications shows that these twelve properties are not always identified as modern heritage, they are sometimes listed for other reasons and under different categories. This joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/DOCOMOMO initiative proposes to take stock of what has been done so far with regard to studies, meetings and proposals, to place these within the system of the World Heritage Convention and to define how this process could be further developed in order to increase the representativity of the World Heritage List. This study will then be presented to the World Heritage Committee and the States Parties as advice with recommendations for action. Context address on the issue of representativity by Prof. Leon Pressouyre (University of Paris I) in 1992. The meeting In 1972 the General Assembly of UNESCO adopted the noted a severe imbalance with regard to certain ‘Convention concerning the Protection of the World categories of heritage and regions being over- Cultural and Natural Heritage’, usually referred to as represented:1 the World Heritage Convention. During the initial years of the Convention, priority was given to the establish- • European-based heritage in relation to the rest of ment of the World Heritage List (Article 11), which the world; acted as the most visible aspect of the Convention, • historic towns and religious buildings in relation to while less attention was paid to other aspects in the other types of heritage; process such as educational and post-inscriptional • Christianity in relation to other religions and beliefs; aspects and the representativity of the List. • historical periods in relation to prehistory and the twentieth century; A turning point with regard to these issues was • ‘elitist’ architecture in relation to vernacular marked by the World Heritage Committee session at architecture. Santa Fe (United States) in 1992 with the adoption of the Strategic Orientations. These included: The conclusions resulted in a Global Strategy for a • identification of heritage and representativity of the Balanced and Representative World Heritage List, List, adopted by the World Heritage Committee in • attention to the post-inscriptional process, i.e. December 1994. This strategy aims to work towards proper management and monitoring of the site the notion of a broader concept of World Heritage inscribed, and with wider criteria and the formulation of thematic • information and education. studies for a representative World Heritage List, making it possible for other regions of the world to In June 1994, an Expert Meeting of UNESCO and nominate their heritage. ICOMOS was organized, following up many debates by the World Heritage Committee