Preservation Of Architectural Heritage Research Articles

New Drawings of the Alhambra: Deformations of Muqarnas in the Pendentives of the Sala de la Barca

Architectural heritage preservation and sustainability need advanced graphic techniques in order to document and understand the disposition/composition of plaster muqarnas, a fragile construction element. The muqarnas are key elements in the Nasrid architecture developed during the 14th century in the Alhambra complex, nowadays part of World Heritage. As a case study, this analysis focuses on the muqarnas pendentives of the Sala de la Barca in the Comares Palace. After examining both explanations and drawings published by architects Jones and Goury from 1842 to 1845, our research provides new drawings (plans and elevations) derived from laser scanner technology. Theoretically, though muqarnas are composed of simple geometrical shapes, these new drawings unveil important deformations hitherto unknown, and which have not been studied yet by other bibliographic references. Finally, we provide some considerations about the causes of these deformations and the monument sustainability across the time and the images’ capacity to show the muqarnas complex shapes in a reliable way.

Comparing the socialist rural architecture of the Baltic States: the past and the future of the administrative-cultural centres of collective farms.

Collectivisation of agriculture in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania was a drastic change that shaped rural built landscapes of the Baltic countries for five decades. Although Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been independent states, and collective farming has been abolished for almost thirty years now, the physical legacy of collective farms still exists. This paper examines what are the present processes in terms of preservation and valorisation of collective farm architectural heritage in the Baltic States. The focus of the analysis is on the administrativecultural buildings of the collective farms, built between the 1960s and 1990s, which represent the modernist and postmodernist rural architectural gems. I compare the context of the establishment of the administrative-cultural centres in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as well as developments in reuse and protection of these buildings after the abolishment of collective farming. I also analyse today's situation in terms of acceptance of this socialist legacy as a meaningful part of the history. My study is based on the field work in the relevant countries, available literature and data, and interviews conducted with the heritage conservation experts and researchers in this field.

Особенности применения строительных норм и правил при реставрации объекта культурного насле-дия

The object of the research is the stone building in Irkutsk at the intersection of Kalandarishvili and Karl Marx streets, comprising cultural heritage of regional significance. The aim of the work is to highlight the fact that, since in many cases the architectural heritage cannot be conserved, it is necessary to preserve individual cultural heritage objects, giving buildings a new function that meets the modern needs of society. The func-tion of restoration and reconstruction projects is to solve these problems. Valuable buildings should be preserved and restored with the preservation of structures, details and later “accretions” – everything that connects the historical and cultural monument with art and the history of its epoch and later periods. Resto-ration is a complex process that aims not only to strengthen the object and return it to a utilitarian function, but, above all, to preserve its authenticity. For this, it is necessary first to identify its general cultural, histor-ical and artistic value. When carrying out restoration work, it is necessary to look for compromise solutions between the interests of the monument and regulatory requirements. The long journey towards a transfor-mation of the historic quarter of the city to the now existing ensemble is elucidated and issues relating to the carrying out of complex research are discussed along with development principles for a plan for the res-toration and adaptation of a cultural heritage object for contemporary use. Solutions to problems of preser-vation and integration of architectural heritage in modern culture are proposed. Conclusions about the prin-ciples of application of modern building norms and rules during the restoration of the cultural heritage ob-ject to adapt to the new function are presented.

Investigating the residents’ attitude towards the preservation of palatial houses built heritage in Chettinad region, Tamil Nadu

ABSTRACTThe Chettinad region of India is unique as one of the few places where evidence of Dravidian architecture exists. At the same time, Dravidian influenced palatial houses in the region are being dismantled and destroyed, fuelling a lucrative trade in their architectural elements as they are exported to western countries and sold on the antiquities market. This study explores Chettinad house owners’ attitudes towards the palatial houses. The main objectives of this study are as follows: (1) To explore what architectural preservation and/or rehabilitation is underway in Chettinad villages and (2) To assess palatial house owners’ attitudes towards architectural heritage preservation. The results of this research show that the owners of these houses are enthusiastic about architectural preservation, but that a number of barriers stand in the way of palatial house preservation. This article ends with recommendations on how the community might come together to preserve this important built heritage.

Long-Term Monitoring of Crack Patterns in Historic Structures Using UAVs and Planar Markers: A Preliminary Study

This paper describes how Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) may support the long-term monitoring of crack patterns in the context of architectural heritage preservation. In detail, this work includes: (i) a state of the art about the most used techniques in ancient structural monitoring; (ii) the description of the implemented methods, taking into account the requirements and constraints of the case study; (iii) the results of the experimentation carried out in the lab; and (iv) conclusions and future works.

The Mechanical Behavior of Ribs in Masonry Groin Vaults Subjected to Seismic Load

ABSTRACTHistorically, the first groin vaults were built without ribs, but ribs later appeared for various reasons. Some ribs have only an aesthetic role, while others have a clear structural role in stiffening the groin. The stiffening effect on the static behavior is currently of wide interest, as the preservation of architectural heritage has become important. While static behavior has various explanations, the discrete spatial structure of cross vaults allowed for only approximate solutions to dynamic problems, such as seismic load response. In this article, a 3D time-history analysis is carried out with a commercial discrete element code. Following the motion of elastic discrete blocks in the structure allows the continuation of nonlinear effects from the rocking and sliding of the blocks. The analysis only addresses the most presumably dangerous direction of ground acceleration. The time-history analysis uses a synthetic accelerogram; a real accelerogram is scaled in the frequency domain to fit to a standard response spectrum. The influence of the supporting walls is handled approximately by considering them to be an SDoF system, which affects the signal of the support acceleration.

The Preservation of 20th-Century Architectural Heritage in China: Evolution and Prospects

This article examines the fundamental meaning of 20th-century architectural heritage by reviewing the formation of the concept by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). It analyses the current state of conservation and potential threats to China’s built heritage, built environment, and cultural landscapes that are less than 50 years old. The article presents a thorough review of the facilitating process of the regulative infrastructure of Chinese modern architecture conservation. It makes a comparative study of several cities’ urban heritage assessment criteria as well as the first and second inventories of China’s 20th-century architectural heritage. The article argues that conserving China’s 20th-century heritage calls for a theoretical framework, which integrates value assessment and advancing the conservation mechanism for built heritage. In doing so, the transition may be facilitated from focusing on World Heritage towards heritage of the everyday, which embodies collective memories, and from preserving iconic monuments towards comprehensively conserving the built heritage.

The Influence of Technological Development on the Sustainability of Architectural Heritage (Documentation and Preservation) – Case Study: Citadel of Qaitbay

The Influence of Technological Development on the Sustainability of Architectural Heritage (Documentation and Preservation) – Case Study: Citadel of Qaitbay

Revitalización de centros urbanos desde la perspectiva del programa Main Street en Barrios Altos

El presente documento busca dar a conocer algunos estudios que desarrollan la importancia de los actores sociales como gestores de la conservación del patrimonio arquitectónico, en especial aquellos que se dedican al comercio tradicional. En ese marco los comerciantes locales tradicionales son los actores más interesados en la revitalización de los centros históricos. Muchas instituciones, tanto públicas como privadas, incentivan actualmente políticas de desarrollo para la revitalización de centros urbanos, como es el caso de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (UNESCO). En el presente trabajo busca exponer la revitalización “desde adentro” de Barrios Altos. Con ese objetivo, se explica la experiencia norteamericana desde el programa llamado Main Street, que desde inicios de los años 80 se viene desarrollando exitosamente en pequeñas y medianas localidades de los Estados Unidos. Este programa se enfoca en la revitalización del área comercial ubicada principalmente alrededor de la calle principal (Main Street); de ahí el nombre. Desde esta perspectiva, la investigación busca aterrizar este programa en una zona de Barrios Altos, específicamente en el ambiente urbano monumental de Cinco Esquinas, uno de los lugares más representativos donde todavía tiene lugar un comercio local tradicional y existe arquitectura patrimonial a conservar.

ARCHITECTURAL AND URBAN HERITAGE IN THE DIGITAL AGE: DILEMMAS OF AUTHENTICITY, ORIGINALITY AND REPRODUCTION

The archaeology of our built heritage is centred on the understanding of human experiences, rituals and social history that add meaningful narratives to physical fabric, structures and artefacts. The meaning of the building in the collective memory is intrinsically attached to the process by which it was produced and the manner with which it endured a series of critical socio-cultural change. Whilst we cannot live in the past, engaging with historic buildings or walking through traditional urban fabric and alleyways becomes an essential asset of the contemporary urban experience. This paper interrogates the dilemmas of authenticity, originality and legitimacy of the preservation of architectural and urban heritage through digital and virtual technologies. It addresses examples of historic buildings that have changed character, functions or got destroyed during times of wars and conflict. With advanced techniques of recording historic buildings through digital and virtual environments taking a leading role in modern preservation, integrating architectural heritage into the creative economy and income generating activities is critical to their survival in the digital age.

Towards a Methodology for Evaluating Architectural Heritage Preservation Methods

Towards a Methodology for Evaluating Architectural Heritage Preservation Methods

Construído sobre Modernismo: a base teórica de preservação do patrimônio contemporâneo na Espanha

Modernity and heritage preservation are sometimes regarded as opposite ideas; however, the two concepts are inseparably linked throughout the 20th century. The 50th anniversary of the organization ICOMOS (founded in 1965) provided an opportunity to revise the connection of monument protection and modern principles, a duality that accompanied the last century of architecture. The general reform of monument preservation movements was triggered by the destruction of the World Wars, followed by the global identity crisis coming from the modernist city reconstructions all over Europe. Due to the ignorance of the desire for historic continuity, late-Modern architecture caused intense social criticism in several European countries. However, the special historic-cultural background of the Iberian Peninsula created a scenario of architectural trends and a development of monument protection that differed from other parts of Europe. This study investigates the history of architectural heritage preservation in Spain, analyses the parallel methodologies and interactions of Modernism and monument protection from a theoretical point of view, reflecting on the specific conditions of the country during the 20th century, giving a general view of the strong embeddedness of heritage preservation in Modernism. Keywords: built heritage, contemporary architecture, Modernism, rehabilitation, Spanish architecture, theory of monument preservation.

A vibration-based health monitoring program for a large and seismically vulnerable masonry dome

Vibration-based health monitoring of monumental structures must rely on efficient and, as far as possible, automatic modal analysis procedures. Relatively low excitation energy provided by traffic, wind and other sources is usually sufficient to detect structural changes, as those produced by earthquakes and extreme events. Above all, in-operation modal analysis is a non-invasive diagnostic technique that can support optimal strategies for the preservation of architectural heritage, especially if complemented by model-driven procedures. In this paper, the preliminary steps towards a fully automated vibration-based monitoring of the world’s largest masonry oval dome (internal axes of 37.23 by 24.89 m) are presented. More specifically, the paper reports on signal treatment operations conducted to set up the permanent dynamic monitoring system of the dome and to realise a robust automatic identification procedure. Preliminary considerations on the effects of temperature on dynamic parameters are finally reported.

Nostalgia, Commodification of Emotions and Small-town Tourism: The Case of Vintage Vila

Abstract Small urban environments face many issues in tourism; for example, how to position themselves in contrast to the larger cities and how to provide adequate tourist facilities for their guests. In the case of positioning, they have to choose something different and attractive. And in the case of infrastructure, small cities are primarily meant for their residents and have plenty residential buildings but lack of tourist accommodation buildings. The article attempts to reflect on specific contemporary form of “consumed nostalgia” (Cross, 2015) that is characteristic of the era of modern consumer society and offer an example of how its potential could be employed in tourism, particular in small urban environments with significant implications of preserving abandoned properties and thus existing architectural and cultural heritage. An analysis of Vintage Vila accommodation facility that is located in small city of Brežice, Slovenia, was conducted in order to acquaint the potential of a specific form of nostalgia tourism. After an interview with Vintage Vila founder, a review of their Facebook site and the responses of the visitors was made. Additionally the study of media coverage of Vintage Vila was completed to understand the discursive construction of a unique narrative of the place. The basic objective of this paper is to describe this innovative solution for the preservation of architectural and cultural heritage of small urban environments. With the case study of Vintage Vila accommodation facility we hope to encourage other small cities to recognise their potential in abandoned buildings. Restoration of such facilities can open up new possibilities in tourism and may, together with thoughtfully chosen narratives that emotionally bound people to their material environment, contribute to a revitalization of small cities. What is more, tourism development grounded in vintage and nostalgia appeals should be considered as part of a call for sustainable growth, as it advocates and supports alternative consumer practices (such as recycling and reusing objects) and preservation of material culture in general.

ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN HERITAGE OF KUBAN AS A RESOURCE OF RUSSIAN STATEHOOD STRENGTHENING

Retrospective analysis of formation and development of architectural and town-planning culture of Kuban is proposed. The article covers the major problems of the conservation of Kuban urban architectural heritage. Three types of areas by the planning principles are identified and the set of issues about reconstruction of each of these areas is marked. The attention is focused on the areas of natural landscape and tourist complexes. An integrated strategy for architectural and urban development is denoted. The problem of preservation of architectural heritage in the countryside is viewed. The practical significance of this work can serve as a basis for updating the historical and cultural heritage on a national and regional context, as well as material for studies related to the history of architecture.

Conveying Cappadocia. A new representation model for rock-cave architecture by contour lines and chromatic codes

<p class="VARAbstract">Architectural heritage preservation is based on an in-depth, multi-layered and interdisciplinary knowledge of the cultural heritage sites, especially when they are a combination between natural and artificial, such as rupestrian (cave) architecture often is. Survey and representation of rock-cut architecture is one of the most problematic issues for a number of problems concerning the geometrical complexity of the interior and exterior enveloping surfaces. Laserscanner is an appropriate tool concerning the registration of geometric and spatial properties of artificial caves in continuity with the external topography, but automatic representations are often unable to convey their hidden geometric and spatial relationships. In the context of a work methodology customized on the rupestrian habitat of Cappadocia (Turkey), the authors developed an original envisioning model in which an associate use of contour lines and chromatic codes transforms traditional orthogonal projections after the numeric model into drawings able to offer a synthesis and transmit the complex forms and relationships of rupestrian settlements.</p>

Conveying Cappadocia. A new representation model for rock-cave architecture by contour lines and chromatic codes

<p class="VARAbstract">Architectural heritage preservation is based on an in-depth, multi-layered and interdisciplinary knowledge of the cultural heritage sites, especially when they are a combination between natural and artificial, such as rupestrian (cave) architecture often is. Survey and representation of rock-cut architecture is one of the most problematic issues for a number of problems concerning the geometrical complexity of the interior and exterior enveloping surfaces. Laserscanner is an appropriate tool concerning the registration of geometric and spatial properties of artificial caves in continuity with the external topography, but automatic representations are often unable to convey their hidden geometric and spatial relationships. In the context of a work methodology customized on the rupestrian habitat of Cappadocia (Turkey), the authors developed an original envisioning model in which an associate use of contour lines and chromatic codes transforms traditional orthogonal projections after the numeric model into drawings able to offer a synthesis and transmit the complex forms and relationships of rupestrian settlements.</p>

The impact of building proportions in the preservation of Algiers architectural heritage against the seismic hazards

Abstract According to seismic activity experts, the 1830–1930 architectural heritage of Algiers faces a serious vulnerability due to earthquake risk in the area of Algiers. Experts point out the acute sensibility of the masonry construction system to earthquakes. However, despite such vulnerability, this heritage is still standing in such a way that defies experts. This paper seeks to attest, through computer modeling, a new light on the impact of buildings architectural proportions upon their behavior during earthquakes.

Technical aspects of preservation of architectural heritage of Modern in Serbia

This paper analyzes the technical and technological problems of preserving architecture from the period 1945-1990. Complex social and economic conditions hinder the proper approach to the preservation of Modernist architecture. Modern functions that are inserted into objects of Modern require complex changes to the building. If changes are not made in accordance with the principles of profession risk to completely lose the architectural value of the buildings. It is necessary to specify the time all current and potential problems and to propose solutions. This paper describes, systematize and analyze technical problems in the process of protection at facilities Modern architecture.

Structural Membranes for Refurbishment of the Architectural Heritage

The characteristics that make structural membranes suitable for the refurbishment of existing buildings have been investigated by analysing 80 interventions in 24 countries. The cases have been classified chronologically, distinguishing them by fields of application, by countries, and by the type of installations, whether they are mobile or fixed. Several design strategies have been identified and contrasted with the principles set by the International Council on Monuments and Sites. The results are illustrated with examples chosen from the cases investigated, with the aim of highlighting how membrane structures can fulfil the most important principles of the preservation of architectural heritage.