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JULIAN SMITH
In October 2009, the newly elected
President of ICOMOS, Gustavo Araoz, presented
a paper in Malta that signaled a paradigm shift in
the heritage conservation field. The reverberations
from that paper, and the debate it engendered, are still
being felt within ICOMOS, UNESCO, and the international
heritage community.
That paradigm shift is from a static to a dynamic view of cultural
heritage. It is about recognizing heritage as a form of cultural expression,
embracing the intangible quality of cultural practice as much as the tangible
reality of artifacts. In culturally-significant places, it is about interweaving ideas
of commemorative integrity with ecological integrity.
In his paper, Gustavo pointed to the 1987 adoption by ICOMOS of the Florence
Charter for the Conservation of Historic Gardens as “the first subtle sign that
the ground was shifting under the heritage community.” Although landscape
architects, historians and conservators could apply ideas of preservation,
restoration and rehabilitation similar to those being used for buildings and museum
objects, they could not freeze these places in time. At the end of the day, they
had to search for a quality of equilibrium, of subtle and continuous change that
nonetheless sustained an essential integrity of cultural expression.
The strength of this attitude is evident in emerging conservation approaches for
buildings and objects, for historic neighbourhoods, and for entire urban and rural
historic regions. Cultural landscape theory and practice is the vehicle for much of
this discussion, strongly influenced by global Aboriginal perspectives. The new
UNESCO Recommendation on Historic Urban Landscapes is the first use of a
cultural landscape approach in a major international document. There is still strong
resistance, particularly from architects and object conservators, but it is pretty
clear by now that landscape architects, especially those engaged with culturallysignificant
sites, must continue to take the lead in demonstrating and explaining
the new paradigm. This issue of the Landscapes | Paysages is a case in point. A wellconsidered
landscape approach is key to an ecological understanding, which in turn
is the only way towards true sustainability of both natural and cultural resources.
One of the consequences of a more dynamic view of cultural heritage is the
recognition that appropriate contemporary layers can add richness to existing
places and reflect ongoing viability. This is a shift in the heritage field from an
emphasis on “protection” to an emphasis on “value enhancement,” or what in
French would be called “mise en valeur.” There is the need for creativity within a
framework of existing cultural value. This means a respect for careful research and
documentation, including an understanding of traditional practices, and then the
ability to capture both the tangible and intangible qualities of a place in new design
interventions. This means that the conservation and development of culturallysignificant
landscapes – urban, rural, wilderness – will need to draw on the
combined skills of heritage specialists and the best contemporary design skills. We
still need to find the right educational models for developing expertise in this area
of overlap. But clearly for those with these skills the future is wide open.
… from a static to a dynamic view
of cultural heritage… ...d’une vision
statique à une vision dynamique
du patrimoine culturel...
Julian.smith@willowbank.ca
1 LANSDOWNE PARK PLAN (SEE STORY PAGE 42) | 1 PLAN
DU PARC LANDSDOWNE (VOIR L’ARTICLE EN PAGE 42)
PHOTO PHILLIPS FAREVAAG SMALLENBERG
54 LANDSCAPES PAYSAGES