Architectural and Urban Conservation

THIS VOLUME COMPRISES 42 papers grouped into five sections, the first of which concerns conservation policies and strategies. The history of urban conservation movements is presented along with the constraints they have faced, including population growth, lack of funding and technical resources, legislation, illiteracy and public apathy. The importance of architectural heritage for community self-identity and sense of purpose, and consequently for development, is stressed. One author points out that 50 per cent of the "urban fabric" of historical city centres in Muslim countries has been lost this century. The proper management of cultural heritage rests on improved professional interaction and public awareness as much as on changing attitudes and funding priorities. Questions of housing conservation are tied to issues of sustainable development, recycling and economic and legislative restructuring. Specific concerns such as issues surrounding the conservation of colonial architecture and other minority architecture (such as Hindu temples in Natal, South Africa) are addressed by two contributors.

Section II suggests various techniques that should be employed in urban conservation, such as partnerships between public, private and non-profit sectors; transport strategies that do not promote car use; and the conservation of living townscapes rather than the preservation of isolated monuments. The third section offers 12 city profiles from the Asia-Pacific region, each with a short history of the city and a description of the problems faced in its present conservation and development. The case studies include the principle cities of India, Kandy (Sri Lanka), Yangon (Myanmar), Hanoi, Dhaka and Melaka (Malaysia). The following ten papers deal with specific conservation projects and studies around the world. Some are concerned with the conservation of timber, adobe and earthen construction; others are more technical, dealing with silicate technology in the preservation of the Sphinx, the substitution of steel frames for timber frames in areas prone to earthquakes and the use of epoxy resin fillers. The problems faced by architects in employing such technologies are discussed. The reconciliation of "authenticity" with living culture is an issue that continually emerges, as do the various types of planning, morphological and building controls that are necessary to support conservation work.

The fact that heritage is lived, it is argued throughout the book, means that conservation may be used as a socioeconomic catalyst for wider development. This approach, drawing on architectural anthropology, is exemplified in one paper on the Mughal garden. The author argues that such gardens are important in maintaining the collective memories of cities such as Agra, Lahore and Delhi but are of special significance in the South where they "…represent order in a precarious world". Furthermore, in an age of environmentalism, the capacity of public gardens to be used for food production, demonstration projects, education and urban nature conservation should not be underestimated.