Built Heritage

Home
Built Heritage

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Built Heritage, Magazine, .

An academic journal, devoted to all aspects regarding the research, conservation, and revitalisation of built heritage, published by Tongji University Press & SpringerNature.

14/09/2026

Vernacular buildings of Dolpo, Nepal: adaptation to the high Himalayas
Kai Weise & Anie Joshi
The settlements of the high Himalayas are subject to extreme weather conditions and earthquakes. The buildings have been adapted to local circumstances with respect to material availability, local culture, seismic activity and the harsh climate. This paper introduces the vernacular architecture of Upper Dolpo, with examples from the villages of Tsho, Saldang and Bijer and the monasteries of Thasung Tsholing, Shey and Samling, all of which are located at altitudes between 3,600 and 4,400 m. This paper concludes with recommendations for reviving traditional building crafts, developing a means of restoring the vernacular buildings and developing sustainable functions for local communities or by conversion to tourist accommodations.

The settlements of the high Himalayas are subject to extreme weather conditions and earthquakes. The buildings have been adapted to local circumstances with respect to material availability, local culture, seismic activity and the harsh climate. This paper introduces the vernacular architecture of U...

08/09/2026

Daily customs and spatial reproduction: a study on the spatial regeneration of vernacular architectural customs in plateau basin of the Yunnan Plateau
Hongyu Chen, Difei Zhao, Yi Yang, Lanxi Zhang, Xinyue Zhang, Jiayi Li, Jinhuan Tian & Zhenjie Tang
Against the backdrop of rural revitalisation and tourism-led development in China, vernacular architecture in highland Bazi settlements is undergoing rapid transformation. Current renewal practices often emphasise visual landscaping and formal uniformity while overlooking the customary spaces that sustain collective memory and social relations. This problem is particularly acute in ethnic minority regions, where traditional lifeways and indigenous knowledge are increasingly vulnerable. Focusing on a Yi settlement in Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan, this study adopts an interdisciplinary architectural-anthropological approach, combining participant observation, spatial memory mapping, and oral history interviews. The findings show that cultural resilience in vernacular architecture depends less on preserving traditional forms than on sustaining customs in everyday spatial practice. Although customary spaces may physically recede under modernisation, they persist through daily routines, ritual activities, and intergenerational reinterpretation.

Against the backdrop of rural revitalisation and tourism-led development in China, vernacular architecture in highland Bazi settlements is undergoing rapid transformation. Current renewal practices often emphasise visual landscaping and formal uniformity while overlooking the customary spaces that s...

07/09/2026

Object biography of war relics: a case study on the Japanese pillboxes on Luk Keng Knoll
Lawrence W. C. Lai
In the research context of the growing interest in the object biographies of World War II relics, this case study of the field surveys of the Japanese pillboxes on Luk Keng Knoll, Starling Inlet, in Hong Kong, is a good illustration of an object biography “written” by military enthusiasts. It shows that even amateur onsite photos and measurements that are published and facilitated by government aerial photography and/or survey mapping might have contributed to official grading and institutionally-sponsored professional site surveys.

In the research context of the growing interest in the object biographies of World War II relics, this case study of the field surveys of the Japanese pillboxes on Luk Keng Knoll, Starling Inlet, in Hong Kong, is a good illustration of an object biography “written” by military enthusiasts. It sh...

02/09/2026

Water mills as territorial infrastructures in Umbria (Central Italy): towards an analytical framework for multifunctional regeneration
Fabio Fatichenti
The invention of water mills marked a crucial turning point in the history of human use of natural energy. Long regarded as a disappearing heritage, surviving water mills now require, where possible, restoration and refunctionalisation aimed not only at historical–architectural or technical recovery but also at enabling new roles as territorial infrastructures. In this context, the present study investigates the potential of water mills in Umbria (Central Italy) as multifunctional territorial nodes capable of integrating multiple functions—cultural, landscape-related, economic, social, productive, tourism-related, and educational functions—with contemporary territorial planning and heritage management strategies.

The invention of water mills marked a crucial turning point in the history of human use of natural energy. Water mills were widely disseminated across the Mediterranean from the Middle Ages onwards and soon became—and for centuries remained—a fundamental component of material cultural heritage, ...

30/08/2026

Looking with (not so) foreign eyes: the multiple existences of vernacular in earthen architectures of Quebrada de Humahuaca (province of Jujuy, Argentina)
Jorge Tomasi
Quebrada de Humahuaca, a region in northern Argentina, has historically been characterised by dense earthen building cultures, which show remarkable persistence in present-day architectural production. This paper illustrates the intertwined trajectories in Quebrada de Humahuaca, framed by the intense patrimonialisation processes mobilised by institutional agents and the exponential increase in tourist activity in the region. In this context, the article explores how current architectural production unfolds, based on the practices of local actors and their interactions with various social spaces.

Quebrada de Humahuaca, a region in northern Argentina, has historically been characterised by dense earthen building cultures, which show remarkable persistence in present-day architectural production. In 2003, this region was inscribed on the World Heritage List as a ‘cultural landscape’, altho...

28/08/2026

Protecting the past, building the future: Istanbul’s heritage strategies considering Vision 2050 and Law no. 5225
Can Emre Memiş & David Simon
This article critically examines the role of cultural heritage in Istanbul’s contemporary planning framework by analysing the interaction between Law No. 5225 on the Promotion of Cultural Investments and Initiatives (2004) and Istanbul’s Vision 2050 strategy through a document-based and case-informed policy analysis. The study first outlines the significance and vulnerabilities of Istanbul’s World Heritage Sites but shifts beyond descriptive accounts to evaluate how current governance models mediate tensions between economic pragmatism and social-ecological objectives. The article argues that Istanbul’s ability to transition from reactive to ‘bounce forward’ resilience depends on establishing governance arrangements that condition economic incentives on measurable social and cultural outcomes.

This article critically examines the role of cultural heritage in Istanbul’s contemporary planning framework by analysing the interaction between Law No. 5225 on the Promotion of Cultural Investments and Initiatives (2004) and Istanbul’s Vision 2050 strategy through a document-based and case-inf...

26/08/2026

The role of recurring cultural events in facilitating adaptive reuse and social reconnection of industrial heritage: the case of Parco Dora, Turin
Xinwen Zhang, Dingran Chen, Jingxiong Huang, Huishu Deng & Michele Bonino
The adaptive reuse poses both challenges and opportunities for industrial heritage sites. Cultural event programming has emerged as a key catalyst in this transformation process. This study uses Parco Dora, Turin, Italy as an empirical case and investigates how ephemeral but periodic cultural events, like the Kappa Futur Festival (KFF), a major European techno festival held annually in Parco Dora, can effectively activate such spaces. The findings reveal that KFF has played a significant role in both the physical revitalisation and the symbolic repositioning of Parco Dora.

The adaptive reuse poses both challenges and opportunities for industrial heritage sites. Cultural event programming has emerged as a key catalyst in this transformation process. This study uses Parco Dora, Turin, Italy as an empirical case and investigates how ephemeral but periodic cultural events...

21/08/2026

‘To entirely recreate its authenticity’: the transition in Lithuanian urban conservation in the 1980s–1990s
Viltė Janušauskaitė
This article examines urban conservation in Lithuania during the transformative 1980s and 1990s, a period characterised by significant socio-political changes preceding and following the restoration of Lithuania's independence.This case study encompasses the interplay between Soviet-era heritage conservation approaches, emerging civic rights, limited regulation on newly re-established private property, and romantic reconstruction ideas. The oxymoron ‘recreation of authenticity’ captures the high symbolic meaning of cultural heritage as a symbol of national society, representing the period during which replicas were promoted as adhering to international heritage doctrines.

This article examines urban conservation in Lithuania during the transformative 1980s and 1990s, a period characterised by significant socio-political changes preceding and following the restoration of Lithuania's independence. Initially regarded as a key achievement of Soviet-era heritage protectio...

20/08/2026

Integrating mining heritage and mining tourism into the conventional cultural heritage and tourism industry of Ethiopia
Alemseged Debele Tsega
Mining fields and their operations should have heritage and tourism significance and should be considered components of Ethiopia’s economic activities. Hence, this study aims to situate mining heritage and mining tourism within the conventional understanding of Ethiopia’s heritage and tourism industry while exploring strategies to transform mining heritage into a tourism economy. The article’s findings suggest that Ethiopian mining heritage requires recognition, registration, and protection to enhance its significance as a national heritage asset and serve as supplementary authentic sources for the Ethiopian tourism industry in their efforts to appropriately identify and study the cultural and historical values of the mining and tourism industry.

Mining fields and their operations should have heritage and tourism significance and should be considered components of Ethiopia’s economic activities. Hence, this study aims to situate mining heritage and mining tourism within the conventional understanding of Ethiopia’s heritage and tourism in...

18/08/2026

From garden city planning to World Heritage property: the cultural significance of the nature–culture relations of Tel Aviv
Adva Matar, Daniele Cannatella & Ana Pereira Roders
This paper identifies how the cultural significance attributed to nature–culture relations evolves over time and among institutions, using the White City of Tel Aviv as a case study. It compares how nature–culture relations, conceptualised as valued attributes in Patrick Geddes' 1925 Town-Planning Report, were subsequently recognised or reframed in ICOMOS (the International Council on Monuments and Sites) evaluation and the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) decision text that led to the property's inscription on the World Heritage List in 2003. The results reveal a progressive shift in how cultural significance is articulated across the three documents.

This paper identifies how the cultural significance attributed to nature–culture relations evolves over time and among institutions, using the White City of Tel Aviv as a case study. It compares how nature–culture relations, conceptualised as valued attributes in Patrick Geddes' 1925 Town-Planni...

Address

Telephone

+86 21 65982193

Website

http://www.built-heritage.net/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Built Heritage posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company?

Country:

City: