Designing Conservation: From Sustainable Heritage to Sustainable Tourism (and Vice Versa)

Abstract

AbstractToday, cultural heritage preservation benefits from the growing international interests in the green and circular economy. Such benefit depends mostly on the very nature of our cultural heritage that has been evolving by relying on traditional techniques, regional materials, and local expertise and knowledge. For such, traditional heritage has been always more sustainable in terms of resources consumption and preservation actions needed, which were in most cases based on periodic maintenance and easy replacement of parts, with relatively low impact on the environment. In this light, cultural tourism is more and more contributing to or taking advantage of, an increasing aesthetic, heritage community that is aware of the importance of sustainable consumption as well as sustainable accommodation. To enforce such mental and behavioural change, beyond a solid institutional and legal framework for heritage protection aligned with the international standards and with the doctrine, the role of the architect is essential. The project is indeed the form by which the intrinsic qualities of the built environment and cultural heritage in general, including movable objects from crafts and arts, may enhance the true experience, as well as entrust the genius loci, inspiring so multiple other services that favour a sustainable attitude of users. A good project is indeed capable to reinterpret the tradition without mystifying it and displaying how new “residential” models are possible, with a complete, true experience of the site. By using theoretical achievements from recent research on nature-based solutions and circular economy on cultural heritage and urban regeneration, as well as examples from the practice, the paper will highlight some of the principles behind the relationship among heritage reuse, tourism, and sustainability.KeywordsAdequate conservationCircular economyConservation designDense cultural experienceIntegration of primary and secondary cultural tourism products