Built Heritage

17/12/2024

From Hermitage to Heritage?: the legacy of the Lantau Mountain Camp
Miriam Lee
This paper traces the continuity and changes of the little-known Lantau Mountain Camp, a century-old hill station in Hong Kong, with respect to local, regional and global vicissitudes, from its missionary origins, to its memorable tradition as an international summer camp to its growing reputation as a popular scenic landscape. The author discusses how and why this camp was established, its representation in Hong Kong and its transition from a missionary retreat and closely bonded community to a fraternity for rustic, spartan living, with, in recent years, a focus on conservation of the natural environment and cultural landscape. The dynamics of the heritagisation process of the camp involving different stakeholders with different goals and motives are reviewed.

This paper traces the continuity and changes of the little-known Lantau Mountain Camp, a century-old hill station in Hong Kong, with respect to local, regional and global vicissitudes, from its missionary origins, to its memorable tradition as an international summer camp to its growing reputation a...

02/12/2024

Vernacularism or Orientalism: How Built Environment Becomes Heritage of the Other
Submission deadline for extended abstracts: 28th February 2025
https://built-heritage.springeropen.com/vernacularism-or-orientalism
The maverick age—in which the vernacular represents the roots, the native, or the authentic voice of a culture—has long passed. A growing number of skeptics and critics in the past two decades have called into question whether the division between what is and is not vernacular grew out of the essentialization of the Other. Edward Said’s Orientalism might have convinced most academics to place this in the context of East-West dichotomies: European researchers identified vernacular architecture, American anthropologists found native tribes, and so on. Yet, as Michael Herzfeld, Marcel Vellinga and Abigail Van Slyke show us, the essentialization process can as well begin within one own’s self-identified cultural community. The search for the past, the quest for the original, the return to the nation’s roots, all but frame the vernacular as a culturally stagnant point of reference, where changes are too frequently treated as threats to a community’s collective identity.
This Call for Papers invites critical minds to submit essays—for a special issue of Built Heritage—to illustrate case studies in which the process of essentialization begins from within a society, notably when the essence of vernacular heritage is conceived and attached to the built environment. We have no requirements or restrictions on regional or cultural context. But we ask for critical observations and close examinations of actual sites, whether extant or historical, as well as their collective histories. We are also eager to receive essays with experimental approaches (such as those seeking to explore issues in the study of collective memories or collective identity crises, or those engaging in debates on national heritage of de-colonized countries, among others), as well as essays discussing the historicization of the Othering (re-identification of national sites, re-restorations of historic architecture, demolition of historic monuments, for example.) The most important key factor above all is that we look to publish the essays that can make readers see, through critical studies of the built environment, ways in which the essentialization of heritage emerges through the making of the vernacular.

Acknowledging heritage conservation as a creative process rather than mere inheritance, Built Heritage invites international scholarship to reflect on the ...

29/11/2024

New deadline 5 January 2025
https://www.whitr-ap.org/index.php?classid=1461&newsid=3708&t=show

RESHAPING HERITAGE CONSERVATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION: WHAT, HOW, FOR WHOM?

Shanghai, 25-26 October 2025

International Network for Urban-rural Heritage Conservation in Higher Education Institutions (UHC-HEI) 1st International Conference and related activities.

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ORGANIZERS
Tongji University

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CO-ORGANIZERS
• World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (Shanghai) under the auspices of UNESCO
• College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University
• Built Heritage journal
• Heritage Architecture journal

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THEMES AND SESSIONS
The Conference will be organized in five sessions with the following themes:

• Session 1. History of heritage conservation education, theory and practice: This theme will offer the opportunity to review past experiences of education on heritage conservation. They could include the analysis of contents and methodologies of past education programs; the history of systems of transmission of knowledge in traditional construction systems, etc.

• Session 2. Theories and methodology of heritage conservation education: This theme will analyze current trends in both areas, offering a particular insight on the alignment between conservation education programs and philosophies of heritage conservation. It will also offer the opportunity to compare approaches and their implementation in different cultural, social and economic contexts.

• Session 3. New technologies for heritage conservation education: This theme will offer an insight to modern trends such as Artificial Intelligence, the use of Big Data, novel experiences of representation and modelization, in their application to experiences of education on heritage conservation.

• Session 4. Traditional knowledge and heritage conservation education: This theme will explore the realm of non-regulated education represented by traditional knowledge. It will offer an insight on its long-term practice and contemporary transmission, as well its integration into regulated education systems.

• Session 5: Youth and the futures of heritage conservation education: This theme will bring contributions by students, young scholars and emerging professionals, working on the field of heritage conservation education. It will particularly highlight initiatives developed in cooperation with communities, where academia adopts a hands-on approach with clear effects on tangible and intangible matters.

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FORMAT
The Conference has an open call for abstracts and papers. Abstracts and papers will be peer reviewed (double blind) by members of the Scientific Committee of the Conference.

Accepted and presented papers will be published in the Conference Proceedings, book with ISBN. And the best papers will be recommended for publication in related academic journals such as Built Heritage and Heritage Architecture.

The official language of the Conference will be English. Paper proposals will be submitted in English. The Organization will provide simultaneous English-Chinese translation for all sessions.

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HOW TO SUBMIT
Abstracts (300 words max.) should be submitted in English following the provided abstract template and emailed to [email protected] by 30 November 2024.
Please specify in the email Subject, “Submission Abstract – title of paper – initials of authors”.
Please download the abstract template by clicking http://whitr-ap.org/index.php?classid=1461&newsid=3690&t=show

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TIMELINE
- 30 September 2024: Conference announcement and call for abstracts
- 30 November 2024: Deadline of call for abstracts
- 15 January 2025: Notification of acceptance of abstracts
- 30 April 2025: Deadline of full paper submission
- 15 July 2025: Notification of acceptance of full papers
- 25-26 October 2025: Conference

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RELATED ACTIVITIES
The Organization will develop a series of activities related to the Conference, and within the framework of UHC-HEI Network.

• Before the Conference: ICOMOS CIAV-ICICH Workshop to be held in a traditional village in Yunnan Province. Please pay attention to subsequent relevant announcements.

• During the Conference:
UHC-HEI Steering Committee meeting.
International Student Design Award

• After the Conference: Technical visits to be held in and around Shanghai.

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CONTACT
For queries related to the Conference, please contact [email protected] and specify “Question” in the e-mail Subject.

26/11/2024

FOUR DAYS LEFT!
Heritage Transitions in Eastern Europe: Actors, Institutions, and Potentials for Urban Conservation in the 1980s-1990s
The issue will seek to address a series of questions regarding the potential for conceptualization of “urban conservation” in the former socialist countries in Eastern Europe, including the Soviet Union and its successor states, the development of specific legal and institutional instruments, the relation with urban planning, as well as to investigate the transformation of this framework until the early 2000.
Submission deadline for extended abstracts: 30th November 2024

Acknowledging heritage conservation as a creative process rather than mere inheritance, Built Heritage invites international scholarship to reflect on the ...

23/11/2024

Rescripting contested monuments amid shifting regionings of concern: the case of the President M.T. Steyn statue
Hendrik Auret & JL du Preez
The way monuments hold sway seem stable and predictable, yet their ‘meanings’ migrate and their traditionally accepted roles shift. In South Africa there are monuments that commemorate achievements once considered laudable, that have become symbols of oppressive systems. The challenge facing the current generation is to make sense of these monuments in a way that will dignify the lived situation of all stakeholders. One such contested monument is the statue of President M.T. Steyn that used to stand in front of the Main Building of the University of the Free State.This article will critically reflect on the poetic process of strange-making that was followed in the relocation of the President M.T. Steyn statue in order to illustrate how traditional conflict resolution strategies can be reinterpreted in terms of German philosopher, Martin Heidegger’s notion of inceptual thinking.

The way monuments hold sway seem stable and predictable, yet their ‘meanings’ migrate and their traditionally accepted roles shift. In South Africa there are monuments that commemorate achievements once considered laudable, that have become symbols of oppressive systems. The challenge facing the...

06/11/2024

Vibration vulnerability assessment of heritage structures in Lahore: a step towards sustainable conservation
Rizwan Azam, Muhammad Rizwan Riaz & Muhammad Faraz Javaid
In this study, a vibration vulnerability assessment of the heritage structures present in Lahore was performed with the help of the framework provided by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), USA. A remote survey was carried out to gather valuable information regarding the distance between the heritage structures and potential vibrational sources, as well as the latitude and longitude of the heritage structures, via the web-based mapping tool Google Earth. A vibration vulnerability map of heritage structures was developed on the basis of a vibration vulnerability assessment to make it convenient for policymakers to visualise the present state of heritage structures with respect to vibration vulnerability. The performed vibration vulnerability assessment was validated by experimentally measuring vibrations at the Buddha’s Tomb (Buddha Ka Awa) heritage structure.

Lahore is among the most important historical cities in Pakistan, and many cultural heritage structures, such as Shalamar Gardens and Lahore Fort, which are recognised as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, are located there. The rapid increase in transit operations and infrastructure development in Lah...

04/11/2024

More-than-land: conserving the social fabrics of the Kat O coastal settlements in Hong Kong
Chang Su & Boya Guo
This article examines the unique self-organised spatial and social structure of the Kat O coastal settlements in Hong Kong. By problematising the identity politics between built forms and landscapes, this paper analyses the village’s deep-rooted history within the land‒water dichotomies, which have been shaped by government survey methods and conservation-development policies. By examining past and current conservation policies, this article advocates for a water-centric vision for countryside conservation in Hong Kong that transcends the commonly adopted terrecentric perspective.

This article examines the unique self-organised spatial and social structure of the Kat O coastal settlements in Hong Kong. By problematising the identity politics between built forms and landscapes, this paper analyses the village’s deep-rooted history within the land‒water dichotomies, which h...

03/11/2024

Tianjin: History, Memory, and Heritage in a Hyper-Colonial-Globalizing Port-city
Guest editor: Maurizio Marinelli, China and Global Prosperity, Institute of Global Prosperity, The Bartlett, University College London, London, UK
With its nine former foreign-controlled concessions, Tianjin constitutes an unparalleled microcosm of the world, and appears as an extremely important case in the context of historical transformation and cultural heritage preservation. The papers in this collection reflect on how Tianjin is a city that is striving to tell its own story: a distinctive story of hyper-colonial-globalising experiences, informed by its own reinterpretations of China’s historical and architectural past.
https://www.springeropen.com/collections/tianjinhistory

02/11/2024

Industrial heritage sites and mega-events: An opportunity for urban redevelopment and social change?
Guest editor:
Florence Graezer Bideau, College of Humanities and Section of Architecture, EPFL, Switzerland
Anne-Marie Broudehoux, École du Design, UQAM, Canada
This Special Issue identifies common trends and local variations of the relationships between the organization of mega-events and industrial heritage for urban regeneration and growth worldwide. Selected papers address issues like urban image branding; state narratives and policies legitimating mega-events and related modernization and civilization process; the politics of exclusion and local population dispossession commonly linked to the celebration of mega-events; and environmental and social sustainability matters of urban regeneration.
https://www.springeropen.com/collections/industryandheritage

18/10/2024

Temporal insights into mega-events and waterfront industrial heritage transformation: a case study of Shanghai’s Huangpu River industrial zone
Kaixuan Wang
This research examines the evolution and renewal of Shanghai’s Huangpu River industrial zone after the 2010 Shanghai Expo, with a temporal focus on the profound changes and development philosophies driven by this mega-event. In the wake of the 2010 Shanghai Expo, these industrial relics emerged as focal points of urban regeneration, embodying the tensions and synergies between historical preservation and contemporary urban development. Through this temporal lens, the paper analyses the redevelopment process, assessing how these initiatives have reconfigured the industrial waterfront into a dynamic cultural landscape.

This research examines the evolution and renewal of Shanghai’s Huangpu River industrial zone after the 2010 Shanghai Expo, with a temporal focus on the profound changes and development philosophies driven by this mega-event. By investigating emblematic case studies along the Huangpu River, such as...

17/10/2024

Museographic narrating of dissonant heritage in Tianjin’s former international concessions
Maria Gravari-Barbas, Sandra Guinand, Yue Lu & Chensi Shen
Concessions—defined as the urban elements built by Western powers while ‘occupying’ various parts of the Chinese territory—have recently been granted heritage status by the Chinese national and local authorities. However, in many respects, they are ‘dissonant’ heritage sites since they are the result of the several-decade-long ‘colonial’ presence in Tianjin of nine foreign powers. The aim of this study is to understand how former international concessions are featured in museums and interpretation centres in present-day Tianjin.

Concessions—defined as the urban elements built by Western powers while ‘occupying’ various parts of the Chinese territory—have recently been granted heritage status by the Chinese national and local authorities. However, in many respects, they are ‘dissonant’ heritage sites since they a...

15/10/2024

Village (re)commoning: rethinking Hong Kong's rural built heritage as commons
Vincci Mak Wing Sze & Maxime Cedric Decaudin
In recent years, a growing number of village revitalisation schemes have been initiated in Hong Kong by nonprofit organisations (NPOs) with expertise in ecological and heritage conservation. Although many projects have been commended for their success, villagers feel excluded and remain largely disengaged from the revitalisation process. This article proposes redefining the current understanding of Hong Kong’s rural heritage by introducing the concepts of commons and commoning as a relatively new theoretical framework for analysing village revitalisation. This paper also shows that many of the specificities of global contemporary recommoning are relevant to the case of Hong Kong and can partially explain the success or failure of some village revitalisation initiatives.

In recent years, a growing number of village revitalisation schemes have been initiated in Hong Kong by nonprofit organisations (NPOs) with expertise in ecological and heritage conservation. Although many projects have been commended for their success, villagers feel excluded and remain largely dise...

02/10/2024

Dominant discourses framing the reuse of industrial heritage in the context of mega-events: a relationship matrix approach
Florence Graezer Bideau, Huishu Deng & Helena Roux
The reuse of industrial heritage sites has become increasingly prevalent in the context of hosting mega-events. This paper aims to investigate this trend, specifically in the context of Olympic Games or World Expos, and its impact on urban regeneration strategies. It introduces a methodological tool, namely, the relationship matrix, to identify key factors from ‘best practices’ criteria for managing industrial sites and planning mega-event legacies. While guidelines and strategies for mega-events and industrial heritage have evolved towards a proactive people-centred approach, our findings still reveal a bias towards material renewal in dominant discourses during the planning phase. This bias often overlooks or even excludes the memories and experiences of local communities.

The reuse of industrial heritage sites has become increasingly prevalent in the context of hosting mega-events. This paper aims to investigate this trend, specifically in the context of Olympic Games or World Expos, and its impact on urban regeneration strategies. It introduces a methodological tool...

01/10/2024

RESHAPING HERITAGE CONSERVATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION: WHAT, HOW, FOR WHOM?

Shanghai, 25-26 October 2025

International Network for Urban-rural Heritage Conservation in Higher Education Institutions (UHC-HEI) 1st International Conference and related activities.

▼

ORGANIZERS
Tongji University

▼

CO-ORGANIZERS
• World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (Shanghai) under the auspices of UNESCO
• College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University
• Built Heritage journal
• Heritage Architecture journal

▼

THEMES AND SESSIONS
The Conference will be organized in five sessions with the following themes:

• Session 1. History of heritage conservation education, theory and practice: This theme will offer the opportunity to review past experiences of education on heritage conservation. They could include the analysis of contents and methodologies of past education programs; the history of systems of transmission of knowledge in traditional construction systems, etc.

• Session 2. Theories and methodology of heritage conservation education: This theme will analyze current trends in both areas, offering a particular insight on the alignment between conservation education programs and philosophies of heritage conservation. It will also offer the opportunity to compare approaches and their implementation in different cultural, social and economic contexts.

• Session 3. New technologies for heritage conservation education: This theme will offer an insight to modern trends such as Artificial Intelligence, the use of Big Data, novel experiences of representation and modelization, in their application to experiences of education on heritage conservation.

• Session 4. Traditional knowledge and heritage conservation education: This theme will explore the realm of non-regulated education represented by traditional knowledge. It will offer an insight on its long-term practice and contemporary transmission, as well its integration into regulated education systems.

• Session 5: Youth and the futures of heritage conservation education: This theme will bring contributions by students, young scholars and emerging professionals, working on the field of heritage conservation education. It will particularly highlight initiatives developed in cooperation with communities, where academia adopts a hands-on approach with clear effects on tangible and intangible matters.

▼

FORMAT
The Conference has an open call for abstracts and papers. Abstracts and papers will be peer reviewed (double blind) by members of the Scientific Committee of the Conference.

Accepted and presented papers will be published in the Conference Proceedings, book with ISBN. And the best papers will be recommended for publication in related academic journals such as Built Heritage and Heritage Architecture.

The official language of the Conference will be English. Paper proposals will be submitted in English. The Organization will provide simultaneous English-Chinese translation for all sessions.

▼

HOW TO SUBMIT
Abstracts (300 words max.) should be submitted in English following the provided abstract template and emailed to [email protected] by 30 November 2024.
Please specify in the email Subject, “Submission Abstract – title of paper – initials of authors”.
Please download the abstract template by clicking http://whitr-ap.org/index.php?classid=1461&newsid=3690&t=show

▼

TIMELINE
- 30 September 2024: Conference announcement and call for abstracts
- 30 November 2024: Deadline of call for abstracts
- 15 January 2025: Notification of acceptance of abstracts
- 30 April 2025: Deadline of full paper submission
- 15 July 2025: Notification of acceptance of full papers
- 25-26 October 2025: Conference

▼

RELATED ACTIVITIES
The Organization will develop a series of activities related to the Conference, and within the framework of UHC-HEI Network.

• Before the Conference: ICOMOS CIAV-ICICH Workshop to be held in a traditional village in Yunnan Province. Please pay attention to subsequent relevant announcements.

• During the Conference:
UHC-HEI Steering Committee meeting.
International Student Design Award

• After the Conference: Technical visits to be held in and around Shanghai.

▼

CONTACT
For queries related to the Conference, please contact [email protected] and specify “Question” in the e-mail Subject.

29/09/2024

China’s vernacular architectural heritage and historic preservation
Ronald G. Knapp
This review article explores the trajectory of vernacular architectural documentation and preservation in China, including both notable successes and unfortunate failures. Today, unlike in the past, heritage protection focuses on broader village landscapes rather than on individual buildings. The commodification of heritage through the acceleration of tourism continues to have both positive and negative impacts. Judgements about authenticity often continue to be at odds with investors’ need to recoup costs and ensure ongoing profits.

This review article explores the trajectory of vernacular architectural documentation and preservation in China, including both notable successes and unfortunate failures. While the documentation and preservation of monuments of the past have a long-recorded history, the story of the ‘discovery’...

28/09/2024

Book Review: Rethinking heritage for sustainable development
Michael Turner
The seven chapters and conclusions of the timely book by Sophia Labadi, open with the history and contexts of the initiatives on culture for development, followed by four case studies in sub-Sahara Africa analysed through the lenses of three key global challenges in the Millenium Development Goals (MDG) – poverty, gender and environment. The diverse case studies of Mozambique, Senegal, Namibia and Ethiopia are meticulously presented with Labadi’s first-hand knowledge, yet with an arm’s length critique ensuring objectivity. The conclusions internalise the shortcomings of the case-studies while providing recommendations that take on board Labadi’s extensive practical experiences.

Book, conference and exhibition review Open access Published: 26 September 2024 Rethinking heritage for sustainable development, by Sophia Labadi. London: UCL Press, 2022. 256pp. ISBN 9781800081932 Michael Turner1 Built Heritage volume 8, Article number: 43 (2024) Cite this article 10 Accesses Metri...

27/09/2024

The effects of commercialisation on urban heritage in Tianjin: a study of citizens’ livelihood in the Five Avenues (Wudadao) historical district
Xiaochen Liu
This article examines the intersection of commercialisation and sustainable development within the context of urban heritage conservation and the related effects on citizens’ livelihoods, with a specific focus on the Five Avenues (hereafter referred to as Wudadao) historical district in Tianjin, China. The Wudadao district, which is known for its complex heritage architecture, historical significance, and multilayered socioeconomic context, offers significant insights through which the challenges and opportunities of urban heritage conservation and urban prosperity can be analysed.

This article examines the intersection of commercialisation and sustainable development within the context of urban heritage conservation and the related effects on citizens’ livelihoods, with a specific focus on the Five Avenues (hereafter referred to as Wudadao) historical district in Tianjin, C...

19/09/2024

Heritage, urban form and spatial resignification in the production of sustainable Olympic legacies: an urban design analysis of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games
Renata Latuf de Oliveira Sanchez
In this paper, the legacy of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at two proposed centralities was analysed, namely, the Olympic Park, intended as a future neighbourhood to the west of the city, and Porto Maravilha (PM), an urban project aimed at revitalizing a central, historical area of the city. By comparing the Olympic Park and the first provided areas in PM, in terms of selecting urban design criteria through qualitative in loco assessments, this paper focused on analysing the impacts of urban forms and heritage on the consolidation of these two centralities, as well as encouraging social interaction and integration into the city.
https://built-heritage.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s43238-024-00159-8