Cultural heritage adaptation is sustainable!

Abstract

Sustainable development is a well-known term. Sustainable development includes development of cities and communities, industry and infrastructure, innovation and other areas, where no achievement would be possible without caring about the past – our cultural heritage. This paper explains the four-pillar principle of sustainable development of cultural heritage, where each pillar is an amalgamation of various domains. The need to pursue sustainable development of cultural heritage was pointed out in many reports by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), Council of Europe, and others. These important organisations stress the need to preserve heritage, and adaptation is considered an effective means for it. This paper dwells on how and at which stage of cultural heritage life cycle the decision of adaptation should be taken, and what stages it should be preceded and followed by in order to ensure the said shift to sustainable development. The decision of adaptation is seen as a key milestone in the cyclical life of a heritage building, which needs to be set to guarantee the continuation of the building’s sustainable development.