New Ideas of the Protection in Historic Buildings with the Surroundings
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New ideas of the protection in historic buildings with the surroundings 1 2,* Zhou Jiang , Nana Wang 1 Jinling College Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, P. R. China ,210089 [email protected] 2 College of Art and Design, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, P. R. China ,211800 [email protected] *Corresponding author Keywords: historic buildings; protection of the surroundings; new ideas; overall protection Abstract. After the simply introduction of <Xi'an Declaration>, we made a definition of the surroundings of the historic building. Furthermore, we analyzed four reasons of the necessity of the overall protection of historic building and its surroundings; and we illustrated three new methods of the overall protection. Finally, we draw a conclusion that we must make overall protection on historic buildings and its surroundings; moreover, we need accumulate experience in the process in order to spread history wealth. Introduction As the urban construction is developing in nearly each country, how to deal with the impact city construction has made on the heritage has been an emergent and important problem. On October 21 of 2005, the 15the conference of International Council On Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) published an important agreement named <Xi'an Declaration>. The core of this conference is to advice all countries to intensify the protection of historic buildings, cultural relics together with surroundings. The publication of this declaration is of great practice meaning because it will supply methods, suggestion, and instruction for evaluation, management and protection of the heritage environment. In other words, it became a powerful policy and law for the consistent and effective protection. In the declaration, historic building is defined as the old buildings, heritages and its surroundings which may influence the identity and importance or may be a part of its identity and importance. Besides the comprehension from entity and viewpoint, the surrounding also includes the relation with the natural environment, the knowledge from the society and spirit practice in the current and ancient times, or other forms of non-material heritage, and the developing environment of culture, society and economy. Up to now, the protection in China has been confined in the protection of the heritage itself which is emphasized on the mend and reinforcement of the building’s main structure in order to make the building look as its original appearance. However, the management and protection of the surroundings have been ignored. One crucial reason, I think, is that no matter one is a scholar or an officer, or just a citizen, he or she regards this protection as a simple and single measure on the building or heritage. Simply put, everyone thinks that protecting heritage is to make the building in a good condition. Luckily, as people is becoming more and more concentrated on the importance of surroundings, treating buildings and its surroundings as a whole, and making unified planning and protection has been accepted in the filed. analysis on the necessity of protection on heritage surroundings City is an organism which has a unique rule in birth, developing and declining. The surroundings of the cultural relic involve things which are plane or three-dimensional, natural or manual, dynamic or static, corporeal or intangible. All these things, as the heritage itself, are both the outcome of the history and the carrier of the history. Although, due to the abrasion in a so long period, these surroundings have always been destroyed, they have had their own value. The unity composed of surroundings and buildings has reflected comprehensive situation in policy, economy, culture, art, science, religion, custom and so on in a special historical period. Furthermore, in the process of history, this unity has also carried much other information during its development. Heritage is the carrier of history, so it will be a single specimen without surroundings. The energy of city comes from the development of the society, especially in politics, economy and technique. On the other hand, all construction in the city is the carrier of the city activity, among which the most kinetic factor is the city life of citizens who are taking different part in the whole society. As a result, the protection of the heritage should not only concentrate on the building itself. History and humanity should not be ignored. What we must do is to investigate the evolving process of the city, study how the city structure is adapting to and conflicting with the social structure. Moreover, based on those investigations, we study the need of the social progress and the subject which is to be inherited and developed. City is an organism which is always moving and changing. Its speed is different at different times, but it is changing quickly when there is social transformation. Since the reform and opening, cities in China have grown a lot. However, under the flourishing buildings, to those old cities which own many historical heritages, these constructions may threat the environment of heritages. If this danger is ignored, this precious fortune will eventually be destroyed. Therefore, on one hand, we must admit this absolute change; on the other hand, we must keep historical heritance in this change in order to keep city’s character and activity. In order to study the impersonal rule of protecting, we should not only study the style and appearance of the old city, but also study the tactic and target. The aim is to explore a harmonious joint of economic development and heritage protection. This measure involves developing the traditional industry which reflects the characteristic of old city, confining certain economic factors which damage the original style. Especially, construction should confirm the natural law which orders a careful and elaborate project not a too large building. This is also of great importance to the district which have history heritages in the city. Of course, some special places or some destroyed places which damage the whole view of district can be rebuilt or updated to be consistent with its surroundings. In most cases, most old cities can take the method of updating small scale stage by stage. This is a reliable measure because it will not break the history and not disturb the whole society. Moreover, this puts smaller economic burden on the government. Furthermore, this will help store its character. In fact, practices in Europe have proved this way. Historic buildings cannot be naked; they must be dressed These historic buildings have erected in the world for a long period and therefore they have spiritualism as human at some extent. A historic building without surroundings is just like a naked person who is not able to exist in this world; a historic building which lacks its environment as basement is just like a person without clothing living in a cultured society which is going to elapse. In a modern world, historic buildings without surroundings will lose its necessary and basic protection; at last, its life will be deprived by modern buildings. Dressing up the historic buildings is one of the most important and emergent tasks of protection. It is also the basic need of buildings because planning a protecting domain and mending its structure are to give a relaxing and growing space for historic buildings. It is possible that historic buildings can be inherited and kept healthily in this way. large-scale reconstruction and development in cities has threatened existence of historic buildings Although some cities have established protection plan about historic building, it is difficult for old buildings to resist strike from modern constructions. Because of the exciting profit and lack of policy, many buildings with surroundings have been in a dangerous situation in some cities. Moreover, some have been destroyed completely. Taking Nanjing as an example, thousands of phoenix tree have been cut down; Jinsha Well and Large Baihua Xiang district which is included in 1992 <Nanjing historical city protection planning >was damaged; old districts which was from Ming and Qing Dynasty before 600 years are also destroyed. In order to build roads, Walls from Ming Dynasty have been broken at many sites. It is possible that this will bring economic profit for the city, however, the style and view of this city has been also broken. As everyone knows, historical city’s value is defined at its unity which involves not only important historic heritages but also historical districts composed by traditional communities. The conditions tell us that protecting historic buildings together with its surroundings is emergent. historic building with the surroundings is the carrier of special historical information, and as a passenger in the history, people have no right to break the continuity The area of a historic building may be small, but its surroundings may be wide enough. They together become the carrier of special historical information and give birth to the characteristic living style and humanity atmosphere. This unity composed by historic buildings with the surroundings is passed from one generation to another like a baton. Moreover, just under this environment, citizens living in every period strived together and finally created the culture of this city. A city is a carrier of material which is progressing forward and will never stop. Compared with the history of a city, citizen living in it is just a passenger; compared with the life of a city, the life cycle of a generation is ephemeral and limited. So, not only material heritage, but also historic buildings with the surroundings are fruits of many people and fortune form ancestors. When the baton has been passed to us, we must take history and future seriously and make effort to protect historic buildings and the surroundings. What we do is to pass this commune fortune to our offspring, to reflect the idea of sustainable development, to reveal the thought of getting along with history harmoniously.