Search

Urban regeneration and industrial archaeology, dating back between the fourties and the fifties of the 20th century, has drawn attention to architecture, equipment and evidence of human manufacturing, widening the scope of Heritage Preservation in Europe and all over the world. Scholars detected an overall and quite similar development of the approach to industrial Heritage throughout time in the western world, from an early spontaneus interest, through an exploitation mostly based on economic purposes, towards a more recent preservative and inclusive attitude in regenerating buildings and sites, that has a strong support from the voluntary sector in UK. This paper reports the concept and main achievements of a team that, since the seventies, has being pioneering an interdisciplinary, cost-effective and yet preservative approach to abandoned production sites. Blending economic return and true attention to people and site specificity, innovation and campaigns for protection and proper reuse, this approach has been proving to be able to decline the different acceptations of sustainability and, as for conceptual and operational aspects, presents some interesting food for thought.

Una manifestación artística de la decoración andalusí de la que se conservan escasos testimonios son los zócalos pintados en el ámbito doméstico. Los intentos por contextualizar estilística, geográfica y cronológicamente estos zócalos han planteado algunas cuestiones de índole tecnológica a la hora de apuntar posibles conexiones. El estudio de las técnicas de ejecución y materiales empleados en zócalos de Baŷŷāna (Almería), mediante análisis estratigráfico, DRX y FTIR, ha permitido establecer paralelismos con zócalos decorados procedentes del barrio de casas de la Alcazaba de Málaga a partir de una investigación anterior. Los resultados permiten extraer interesantes conclusiones sobre las técnicas de elaboración, que son congruentes con la pervivencia de algunos procedimientos de ejecución de los enlucidos de raigambre romana. Además, se plantea aquí la existencia de un núcleo de producción que agruparía los ejemplos provenientes de Almería y Málaga, cuyo contexto técnico los diferenciaría.

En un momento en el que el patrimonio bélico de la provincia de Teruel goza de una popularidad creciente, se hace más necesario que nunca la coordinación entre las distintas administraciones territoriales y el establecimiento de unas directrices comunes que guíen las intervenciones en este tipo de enclaves. Los trabajos realizados en las posiciones de Santa Bárbara y Loma de Casares en Celadas (Teruel) son un ejemplo de cómo los autores entienden que deben abordarse la conservación y puesta en valor de los vestigios de la guerra civil española, en los que confluyen dificultades como el acceso al enclave, su gran extensión, una pobre factura y un avanzado estado de abandono y deterioro. En este trabajo también se ilustra el carácter integral e interdisciplinar que se recomienda en este tipo de proyectos, y que aborda desde la documentación histórica, la interpretación de la posición y la delimitación de las zonas de intervención, hasta las labores de excavación arqueológica, adecuación de accesos, señalización, promoción y difusión turística.

The paper aims to remember the scientific and human contributions of Giovanni Carbonara. He was a professor emeritus of Restoration, and the director of the School of Specialisation in Restoration of Monuments (now, Architectural and Landscape Heritage), in which he lavished his high intellectual and human value with courage and respect. His students have taken up his teachings in various activities, from teaching to research, and professional works. Since the Seventies of the 20th Century, his research has touched many fields of conservation, analytical study, protection, education, and management of cultural heritage. He was an intellectual also involved in various institutional fields for conservation. He was concerned with looking at the teachings of the past with an eye focused on the updates and new developments in the restoration’s thought. He was a promoter of the ‘critical-conservative’ line of restoration.

Tras la restitución del Generalife al Estado español en 1921, Benigno de la Vega Inclán (1858-1942), el marqués de la Vega-Inclán organizó un patronato independiente del de la Alhambra para atender la apertura del conjunto nazarí a los futuros visitantes. Eladio Laredo y Carranza (1864-1941) fue el arquitecto encargado de avanzar los primeros levantamientos, estudio de accesos, riegos y recuperación de las zonas degradadas, hasta 1925, en que se unifican las competencias en la figura del arquitecto Leopoldo Torres Balbás.

El artículo analiza la intervención llevada a cabo en el alcázar del conjunto fortificado de La Guardia, de origen islámico, con sucesivas trasformaciones en época cristiana y en el periodo renacentista, en el que cambia su uso a residencia señorial. Después de un periodo de intervenciones inconexas con criterios dispares, algunas de ellas sin acabar, el castillo se encontraba sin uso y con difícil acceso por sus condiciones de mantenimiento. La intervención se ha basado en la conservación de lo existente, poniendo en valor su compleja estratificación, consecuencia de las diversas mutaciones, añadidos y superposiciones históricas, y a la vez en la adecuación de espacios y recuperación de accesos y recorridos para permitir su uso cultural, compatible con la visita turística.

El Teatro de Cartagena es un importante exponente de la arquitectura monumental de la Hispania romana. Para su construcción fueron utilizados diversos pétreos locales, entre ellos una arenisca conocida como Tabaire. Este artículo tiene como objetivo la caracterización física del Tabaire, así como la identificación de sus formas de deterioro y el estudio de su consolidación mediante nanopartículas de cal y de dióxido de silicio (silicato de etilo). Los análisis iniciales mediante técnicas de imagen como la Microscopía Óptica (OM), Microscopía Electrónica de Barrido (SEM) y Tomografía de Rayos X (CT) muestran que es una roca de elevada porosidad y escasa dureza. La eficacia de los tratamientos consolidantes se comprobó mediante métodos no destructivos, basados en la identificación de la dispersión y penetrabilidad en el sustrato (OM y SEM) y en la detección de la variación del color (CIEL*a*b*), o mínimamente destructivos, como el peeling test y la dureza Shore-D, para conocer su incidencia en las características del material.

La Barcelona esgrafiada del siglo dieciocho es una ciudad artesanal que se convertirá en poco tiempo en una ciudad preindustrial. Es en este tiempo de unos 100 años cuando se crearán magníficas fachadas vestidas con hermosas decoraciones de iconología renacentista que acabarán generando un singular barroco catalán de influencias francesas e italianas. Hasta finales del XVIII coexisten en Barcelona diferentes decoraciones de esgrafiados, pintados o policromados al fresco o al seco, tanto encintados, como con puntas de diamante, plafones esgrafiados, escenografías arquitectónicas, escenas bucólicas, tapizados, todos generalmente realizados mediante el uso de plantillas (para sistematización del trabajo) y policromados, tanto al fresco como al seco, con pigmentos minerales.

La intervención en el tramo de la calle Paraíso de la muralla de Oviedo ha permitido su recuperación y puesta en valor, dando a conocer ampliamente este Bien de Interés Cultural (declarado monumento histórico-artístico por Decreto de 3 de junio de 1931), indispensable para entender la propia conformación y evolución de la ciudad. Una ciudad cercada por un recinto murado a la que Alfonso II en el siglo IXtrasladó la corte de la monarquía asturiana, y desde la cual se iniciaría la primera peregrinación a Compostela para visitar el sepulcro recién descubierto del apóstol Santiago. Siglos más tarde, en plena Reconquista, Alfonso X ordenaría construir una nueva cerca. En el presente artículo se analiza la situación jurídica y patrimonial previa a la reciente intervención, las necesidades contractuales, así como la evolución de la fábrica, los tratamientos técnicos y las decisiones proyectuales adoptadas por el equipo pluridisciplinar comisionado, encabezado por el arquitecto José Ramón Fernández Molina.

La reutilización del patrimonio constru es una de las estrategias para dar respuesta a los problemas vigentes de sostenibilidad en el sector de la construcción. Los edificios religiosos que han sido desacralizados y abandonados figuran en este contexto. El objetivo de este se centra en el estudio de las soluciones de readaptación de edificios religiosos a nuevos usos, sopesando la relación entre valorización y reutilización a partir del análisis de los períodos de reutilización, las circunstancias sociales y económicas que los motivaron, y los nuevas programas propuestos, así como las estrategias de intervención utilizadas atendiendo al perfil de la actual propiedad, ya sea pública o privada.

Las pinturas del santuario de Nuestra Señora de Guaditoca en Guadalcanal constituyen un ejemplo paradigmático de pintura mural andaluza de finales del XVIII. En este artículo se abordan el análisis del estado de conservación de las pinturas y un diagnóstico pormenorizado, así como el avance de los criterios y metodología para su intervención. Un trabajo que plantea la lectura del programa iconográfico, hasta el momento inédito, desde su reconocimiento arquitectónico e histórico como bien cultural hasta su caracterización y tutela patrimonial. Su necesaria puesta en valor y consiguiente protección se fundamentan en una urgente intervención de carácter científico-técnico.

La contribución trata sobre los edificios de piedra en Melbourne y Sydney construidos a partir de la segunda mitad del siglo XIX. Se reportan los resultados de un censo relativo a aproximadamente 140 edificios, analizados según el tipo de piedra utilizada (arenisca, caliza, piedra azul) y los fenómenos de degradación observados, con el fin de crear la base para definir relaciones entre carácter y patologías. Teniendo en cuenta los dictados de la Carta de Burra, que establece los criterios culturales y operativos a seguir en los trabajos de restauración, se han descrito algunas obras significativas, destacando los métodos operativos y los principales problemas de conservación.

Comparing John Ruskin and Viollet-le-Duc to highlight their opposing approaches to protecting the past is frequent when reading about them and is indeed valid and effective. Here we take this approach, moving along with their travels in Italy which also have never been compared. Interpreting preservation as conservation and maintenance on one hand, or restoration and repair on the other are the opposing strategies upheld by these two authoritative figures in European cultural attitudes to restoration in the mid-19th century. Focusing on the 1830s, and their first visits to Italy implies grasping how their experience of architecture, landscape, and Italian society influenced their later reflections on conservation. The aim is to highlight the impact on contemporary and future generations of a concept of the ‘monument’ as a lasting object, that can be repaired and perfected, rather than a ‘live’ one, because it is marked by time, and conditioned by the nature of the places and local traditions.

El Urnario Municipal del Cementerio del Norte, ubicado en el municipio D de Montevideo, Uruguay, fue declarado Monumento Histórico Nacional en 2014. No cuenta hasta la fecha con un plan que habilite su conservación y mantenimiento a pesar de las claras señales de deterioro que presenta. Se plantea en este artículo un análisis de la configuración constructiva del edificio basado en levantamientos, resultados de ensayos y una modelización teórica de su estructura. Las lesiones detectadas se han clasificado según el grado de afectación del edificio. Finalmente, se establece un diagnóstico. El edificio presenta síntomas de afectación, especialmente de sus elementos estructurales horizontales. En las condiciones actuales estas deficiencias no comprometen su estabilidad; sin embargo, dada la naturaleza progresiva de los procesos patológicos detectados, vinculados a la pérdida de alcalinidad y a la alta permeabilidad del hormigón, es previsible que pueda verse comprometido su desempeño a corto plazo.

En este artículo se aborda la propuesta del protocolo de formulación de planes de conservación programada (PCP) para inmuebles patrimoniales en el contexto costarricense, el cual es parte de los resultados del segundo objetivo del proyecto de investigación: «Herramientas de gestión y conservación programada en intervenciones de bienes inmuebles patrimoniales en Costa Rica». La metodología para el desarrollo de este objetivo consistió en la comparación sincrónica, el análisis documental, la elaboración de la propuesta y la validación. La descripción del protocolo se acompaña de diagramas de proceso para cada fase propuesta.

El presente artículo se centra en la fábrica histórica de Can Bagaria en Cornellà de Llobregat, Barcelona. A partir de su contextualización y caracterización constructiva se ejemplifica el momento culmen de la construcción en una época marcada por el auge industrial y la innovación tecnológica que experimenta Cataluña (cambio del s. XIX al s. XX). El desarrollo de las estructuras de hierro y fundición, en combinación con las tradicionales fábricas de ladrillo, llevaron a la gestación de un nuevo tipo arquitectónico porticado, bidireccional e isostático, del cual Can Bagaria representa uno de los ejemplos más evolucionados, tal como se constata a través del análisis de sus componentes estructurales y del conocimiento de sus precedentes tipológicos y tecnológicos.

La iglesia de las Escuelas Pías destaca por las excepcionales dimensiones de su cúpula, de 24,5 m de diámetro interior. En el momento actual se enfrenta a problemas de conservación, que obligan a determinar las causas de la patología y propongan medidas correctoras. Analizados los documentos y el estudio histórico-arquitectónico, se ha procedido a una exhaustiva toma de datos que ha permitido no solo la definición geométrica, sino también constructiva de su estado actual. A partir de la evaluación inicial se proponen estudios específicos centrados en el comportamiento estructural y en la caracterización de materiales y técnicas constructivas. Como resultado se ha elaborado una propuesta de fases de intervención para su conservación y restauración integral, así como un plan de investigación para avanzar en el conocimiento técnico de su arquitectura.

The Peru Pavilion was built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 in Seville. In 2017 the building presented significant alterations, mainly consisting of large quantities of dirt, many cracks and the detachment of fragments affecting the ornamental concrete and mortar elements on its façades. This was the reason why it was necessary to develop a restoration project and the subsequent intervention on the façades. This research was based on a preliminary study phase in which the main causes of alterations in the building were identified, to evaluate the most appropriate preventive treatments for its conservation. The second phase focused specifically on controlling restoration work, mainly to verify the efficacy and suitability of the treatment applied through onsite tests and instrumental analysis techniques in the laboratory.

Between 2020 and 2021, the world was paralyzed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Concurrently, the devastating effects of Greenhouse Gases, the cause of the drastic Climate Change that threatens us, were considerably reduced. Nature had a well-deserved respite when we were locked-up and immobile, and the architectural heritage was protected by stabilizing the drastic changes in the climate. Are we the protagonists of the devastation of the planet and consequently, of the destruction of our architectural heritage? The intervention processes for existing structures must respond, in a compatible way, to their particular building technologies and their geographical location. If the only “green” building is that which already exists, the recycling of its components and recovery are sustainable techniques that our ancestors used as a conscious process to protect, and not waste, the natural resources of our planet earth necessary for their survival.

Unesco’s emphasis on authenticity as a requisite for a site’s interest draws attention back to the materials and substance of architecture. Material authenticity thus takes on the central role it also merits in the operational sphere, as an aim of the project and also as a means of enhancing cities like Venice.This assumption makes areas of detailed study strategic, like that of the medieval masonry in Venice, focusing on the distinctive role of the brick facing on an architectural level and as an urban image related to the historical surfaces. Conservation of these facings requires a meticulous analytical system and raises the question of the project on the fragmented surface, the subject thus becomes a test-bed for a maintenance approach carried out on different levels, in Venice as in any other historical context.

The fate of contemporary concrete buildings has become a growing concern because of their rapid ageing. The procedures to be implemented for their material and structural preservation require a multidisciplinary approach since they are often the result of pioneering experiments and unique challenges, both morphological and technical-constructive. However, intervention procedures have to be based on a wealth of knowledge and on operational and theoretical principles, which unfortunately do not apply to the restoration of reinforced concrete. This article focuses on the experience of conservation of the MAXXI, the National Museum of the Arts of the XXI century, made by Zaha Hadid (1950-2016) in Rome, which prematurely encountered conservation problems, and on the complex maintenance work that the museum was recently subjected to.

This paper shows the restoration work carried out on the mudbrick structures uncovered at the Iron Age (c. 1300-300 BC) site of Salūt, in central Oman. In the region, traditional earthen architecture represented the key building technique until modern times. The traditional concept of constant upkeep is arguably the only way of efficiently preserving ancient structures. However, different mud plaster compositions were tested which could provide a better aspect and a lower static load on the structures. The work strategy was meant to be sustainable from an economic, ecological, and sociological point of view, as it also aimed at documenting and hopefully reviving the traditional earthen architecture currently endangered by the disinterest of younger generations.

The Cathedral of Valencia (Spain) is the result of multiple interventions carried out throughout its history. In order to recover the appearance that it had centuries ago, a partial repristination has been made generating a new spatial configuration and variations in the coatings that influence the acoustics of the room. Religious buildings have a characteristic sound that must be the object of special protection, so it is important to determine the variations that, in terms of acoustic quality, may have occurred. To do this, through acoustic simulations, a comparative study of the acoustic behavior before and after the repristination has been performed. This methodology opens the possibility to predict the acoustic result of any intervention before its implementation. With this, architectural acoustics is proposed as a new tool to deal with the restoration of heritage.

The future intervention on the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris has generated a debate that, despite appearing to be modern, remains open in an irresolvable way for decades in the field of architectural heritage restoration. The reconstruction of the St. Mark’s “Campanile” after its collapse, the recovery of the great European monuments damaged during the wars of the 20th century, such as the Cathedral of Reims, the Abbey of Montecassino or the “Frauenkirche”, and the identical restitution of symbolic buildings such as the “Gran Teatre del Liceu” in Barcelona or “La Fenice” in Venice, are just some of the cases that have followed the principles of ‘historical restoration’. The recent event of Notre-Dame opens a new window to contemporary thoughts on what could be the most appropriate way to intervene on Cultural Heritage, testing the validity of the widespread philosophy of “dov’era e com’era”.

Josep Puig i Cadafalch (Mataró 1867-Barcelona 1956), una de las figuras más polifacéticas de Cataluña, dejó un valioso legado, como es ejemplo la casa de veraneo de Argentona (Barcelona). Lamentablemente, esta casa fue deteriorándose hasta que en 2010 cayeron parte de las almenas de fachada arrastrando parcialmente la cubierta, lo que obligó a tomar una decisión provisional de estabilización y, posteriormente, a convocar un concurso de proyectos con el fin de recuperar un edificio emblemático y capital para entender la obra y el personaje de Puig i Cadafalch. En este artículo se presentan los trabajos de rehabilitación y recuperación de la cubierta como parte de un proyecto global que pretende convertir el edificio en un potente polo dinamizador de Argentona.

Andorra is a small country nestled in the heart of the Pyrenees that has undergone a radical transformation over the past half century. From a centuries-old mountain culture based on subsistence agriculture, the country saw itself converted into a leading tourist destination in a very short period of time. This change has been accompanied by significantly high levels of immigration. The traditional society of the country, which had the family house at the centre of social life, soon found itself relegated along with much of its material evidence. In recent years, the country has started to look back at the past in an attempt to connect the new generations with their own history. With this end in mind, Andorra has been implementing a policy focussed on recovering its traditional legacy and encouraging the renovation of its vernacular architecture. The enactment of the Cultural Heritage Act in 2003 has played a fundamental role in these efforts. The interventions of recent years have given us a greater insight into traditional Andorran construction, the conservation problems associated with it as well as the merits of the solutions that have been adopted. In this article, we review the history of this legacy and the manner in which it is being restored.

The Riding House is an outstanding example of the historic evolution of the equestrian stabling in an English country house. The building, which had been unoccupied for a number of years, was repaired and a new use sympathetic with the floor plan and its historic fabric and significance introduced. An initial survey and historical analysis were undertaken to understand the condition and evolution of the stables and to guide the conservation works. The timber roof and floor structures were sensitively repaired and fire, thermal and acoustic upgrades introduced. The external walls were repointed and cracks stitched. Only decayed fabric beyond repair was replaced to match and recorded. Historic lath and plaster ceilings and partitions, floors, windows and doors were retained and made good. Blocked doorways and windows were reopened with the aim to reinstate the movement and visual dialogue with the main house and its gardens lost during the 19th century works.

El antiguo asentamiento fortificado de Bam (Arg-e Bam o Ciudadela de Bam), un testimonio excelente del desarrollo de un enclave comercial en una región desértica de Asia, es un caso excepcional en el cual la ósmosis entre el entorno construido y la naturaleza es total e incluso se halla enriquecida por su aspecto cromático y su suave relieve resultante de la interacción entre materiales y factores atmosféricos. Tras el grave terremoto de 2013, Arg-e Bam representa también un ejemplo significativo de reconstrucción masiva y, al mismo tiempo, un modelo real para analizar el concepto de autenticidad del patrimonio.

Casa Batlló is a building focus of worldwide recognition due to its status as a work of the architect Antoni Gaudi. The Conservation Plan for Casa Batlló establishes this fact as fundamental to all the decisions that must be taken in order to establish the intervention criteria. The study not only of the actual building, but also of the documents led to define the criteria for the intervention of the restoration project. Thearticle shows the analysis of the building and its architectural spaces, that allowes to establish the clear limit between the previous building and the modifications, done after Gaudí’s project.

Las sucesivas intervenciones que ciertos edificios patrimoniales han experimentado a lo largo del tiempo implican, en ocasiones, la interacción entre técnicas y materiales constructivos no siempre compatibles entre sí. Esta interacción está relacionada con concepciones sociales sobre el patrimonio y sus técnicas elaboradas por la población, que muchas veces no son contempladas en las intervenciones, acarreando continuidades y discontinuidades constructivas que influyen sobre los bienes patrimoniales y su trayectoria. En este artículo se analizan estas cuestiones a partir de la “Casa del Marqués”, en la provincia de Jujuy, en el noroeste de la Argentina, una restauración en curso con una estrategia participativa como instancia de revisión de nuestras propias representaciones y de articulación con aquellas otras que provienen de las personas del terreno.

Entre las intervenciones de regeneración urbana acometidas en este siglo destaca la llevada a cabo en el puerto de Hamburgo con el desarrollo del plan HafenCity. Aunque este plan incluye el área de almacenes históricos Speicherstadt, declarados Patrimonio de la Humanidad en 2015, su relación e influencia mutua no han sido analizadas hasta ahora. Este artículo estudia esa relación, primero desde el planeamiento urbano, donde el patrimonio y las infraestructuras portuarias existentes se convierten en uno de los principios vertebradores del nuevo desarrollo, que le dota de significado. Segundo a través del estudio de los espacios públicos y su valor patrimonial, en paralelo la accesibilidad en Speicherstadt y HafenCity contemplada al mismo tiempo como necesidad, amenaza y oportunidad para el patrimonio. La simbiosis entre Hafencity y Speicherstadt, aun con sus puntos débiles, vincula la regeneración urbana con la conservación del patrimonio industrial más allá del reclamo publicitario.

In accordance with Casa Batlló’s Conservation Plan, the initial project contemplated a minimal intervention of maintenance and conservation. Prior to the start of the intervention, studies and tests were carried out, to find out, check and determine the different methodologies and materials to be used. However, a careful inspection of the façade revealed pathological processes and undocumented findings about the construction techniques. These studies and the results of the tests allowed to agree upon the procedures and materials to be used.

The modifications over time to the piano nobile, brought about both by the uses and the inhabitants between the 1950s and 1990s, created a substantial reduction in the value of the whole of the space as a composition. Thus, the stuccoes, the wainscoting, the carpentry, had an individual value, that had been blurred with the significant alterations of the original project by Antoni Gaudí. The restoration of this main floor has tried to find a way to develop the original unifying power of each fragment that contained it, evaluating in a way proportional to how well each has survived.

One of the remarkable characteristics of the Ancient Pingyao City Wall, which has been listed as Cultural World Heritage Site in 1997, is the internal rammed earth face, behind the exterior brick finishing. Although many consolidation and restoration treatments were carried out in the past decades, parts of the city wall are still in danger to collapse. Laboratory tests show that the loess soil, the main construction material of the Pingyao city wall, is poor in clay. It is not water resistant without any treatment. From 2011 after quality examination the damaged earthen finishing has been restored only with traditional ramming technique. However, based on the visual inspection done in September 2018, protective lime-earth plasters as sacrificial layer to rammed earth finishing may be a technically and financially sustainable solution.

After remaining more than 40 years closed, Betxí’s Palace-Castle needed an urgent restoration. This recovering has been possible thanks to the Master Plan, an agile management tool that lays down the intervention criteria and a series of independent and coordinated restoration stages for a flexible and gradual recovering process. This article shows the building’s historical evolution to understand the different values in each stage, the Master Plan intervention criteria, the definition of each intervention stage and the restorations carried out so far.

The dramatic blaze of the roof of Notre-Dame de Paris gave way to intense imaginative proposals for the monument repairs, far from realist and respectful considerations. In the other hand, the methodical approach, coming from the monument’s analyse and understanding, its symbolic and architectural sense, seems to be the only way for its faithful recovery. If the works for repairs are easy to adopt, the roof and the spire are in an open debate, which claims to more clever considerations: the roof cannot be studied out of its major structural assessment on the vaults; and the spire, both one of the 19th c. major masterpiece of architecture, and a legendary skyline, calls for it’s rebuilt. Back to the world famous gothic icon seems to be the only correct architectural answer.

This contribution tries to describe the research and intervention process that the authors have carried out for the conservation of the Sidi Bou Guertif Mausoleum. The methodological process has been based on the prior knowledge of the construction systems, as well as the conservation and recovery-reconstruction techniques used by the region’s master builders, practices that are respectful with the building and that are validated by their use for centuries. In addition, the project contemplated the involvement of young locals interested in learning about these jobs that unfortunately disappear, but are absolutely necessary to preserve this heritage at-risk.

The risk that important heritage sites may disappear as a result of war, terrorism, natural disasters or abandonment is one of the emergencies of the beginning of the new century. As a reaction to this phenomenon, international attention is focused on the theme of the reconstruction, reproduction, cloning of the heritage. Ranging from architecture to archaeology and art, these operations are underpinned by digital scanning and numerically controlled reproduction technologies. An approach based on opposite precepts involves studying the theme of additions as a tool for conservation. The outcomes of the interventions dene a space for reection and experimentation dedicated to the language of contemporary architecture for conservation.

The dwellings designed by Antonio Bonet Castellana (1913-1989) in 1967 for the village of Hifrensa (L’Hospitalet de l’Infant, Tarragona) are an example of the systematization of urban structures. Bonet tried out different transformations of a basic module to generate multiple developments, all with the idea of city development in mind. To address the current growth of the village, the present study describes the replication of the dwelling module for experts in Hifrensa, adapting it to the current regulations. Given the precarious state of preservation of the original dwellings, the new module, made up of four dwellings, once again displays elements from the original project that have since been lost, such as forms, proportions, materials and finishes. The study describes many details regarding the design and construction of the module, reveals the difficulties and technical solutions adopted during the process and warns about the vulnerability of modern architecture heritage.

Tras décadas de degradación y demoliciones extensivas, la tipología residencial del shikumen experimenta un proceso de renacimiento en Shanghái. Sin embargo, sus métodos de conservación se revelan tan controvertidos para deniciones occidentales de patrimonio urbano como desinhibidos desde el punto de vista de la práctica del diseño arquitectónico. Este artículo plantea de manera crítica la posibilidad de la producción de nuevos modelos de conservación urbana a partir de un acuerdo entre ambas, en el marco de gobernanza empresarial que impera en Shanghái como ciudad patrimonial.

Practical Building Conservation is a ten volume series that offers comprehensive guidance on a wide range of materials, from glass, timber and metals, to historic concrete. Two foundation volumes frame the books on building materials. Conservation Basics describes the history of conservation, current legal practice and methodology. Building Environment defines the environmental factors affecting composite building systems and how good conservation repairs support sustainable practice. This article explores the genesis of the series, from five small books published in 1988, to the current series with over 5,000 pages. The new work illustrates the evolution of building conservation over recent decades, now promoting holistic interventions based on an assessment of significance, condition and risk. The series refers to conservation practice in England. However, much of the information provided is of generic nature, so is applicable to other contexts.

Saharan oases are all suffering a severe abandonment due to economic, social and political reasons. Abandonment is also the main cause for decay, thus in turn affecting at the same time the primary economical resources, the palm grove and the built environment. The latter one is also fighting a common sense of rejection, resulting from the belief that traditional housing is uncomfortable, dirty, not lasting and unhealthy. A restoration project run by the University of Cagliari in Figuig (Morocco), opened to reflect on a new attitude in the intervention of conservation, showing that actions pointed to re-use of buildings, building traditions and traditional materials can bring to a win-win result where the memory joined to the habitat, the local identity and the local micro-economy are given a renewed and substantial significance.

The Cruz de Cerrajería is a wrought-iron cross forged in 1692 by the master locksmith Sebastián Conde. Its exposure to environmental elements, its structural characteristics and the inappropriate application of superimposed coats of paint have given rise to severe degradation due to corrosion. By means of instrumental analysis techniques, we were able to accurately identify the causes of the deterioration, determine the characteristics of the metal and evaluate its response to the application of passivation and stabilization treatments. Through an experimental approach we were able to determine the most appropriate solutions regarding the restoration and protection measures adopted to combat corrosion, considering the application possibilities according to the typology and shape of the numerous pieces that form the Cruz de Cerrajería. The treatment studied here guarantees the adequate protection of the cross, water evacuation and prevents galvanic couples.

The small size of rural settlements, closely connected to the landscape, the constructive homogeneity of their architecture, their resilient tradition safeguarded by locals, and other singularities highlighted in protected settings suggest the need for a specific debate when intervening to bridge the voids which have appeared. This article aims to navigate this by examining interventions in the historic center of Albarracín (Teruel, Spain). Firstly, an assessment is carried out on the suitability or inconvenience of reconstructing on sites with limited past remains. Secondly, the way in which this void can be remedied is examined, between the need to be integrated to prevent distortions and the will to differ from this setting in order to prevent historical falsifications.

El texto propone una descripción sumaria de la situación de la restauración en Alemania, ilustrando temas y prioridades que emergen de una situación compleja. Una descripción de amplias pinceladas ayuda a capturar los aspectos más significativos del debate y la práctica actuales. El escenario de la restauración en Alemania es representativo del panorama europeo que asume el método y aproximación científicas, la conservación material y un cierto ‘liberalismo’ frecuentemente influido por la política y la economía. Sin embargo, la interrogación incesante sobre la relación entre la controvertida historia del siglo XX y la actualidad constituye el marco distintivo de su directriz contemporánea.

Desde agosto de 2016 a abril de 2017, se realizó la restauración de la fachada renacentista de la Universidad de Alcalá, monumento nacional desde 1914. El objetivo de la intervención, además de poder recuperar las condiciones óptimas de conservación del conjunto, se plantea resolver de un modo integral otros aspectos (no técnicos de la propia obra), que la universidad considera de interés desarrollar dentro de su compromiso con la conservación del patrimonio. La intervención con una gran complejidad por los objetivos así como por la limitación económica, ha sido factible al plantearla como una oportunidad, y trabajar toda la operación bajo el prisma de la gestión del patrimonio, más allá de los aspectos estrictamente propios de la intervención técnica. La aplicación de tal concepción desde la fase proyectual ha permitido obtener el éxito en la actuación que se presenta en este documento.

The historic restoration of the Theatre of Marcellus, begun in 1926 and completed in the early 30s, fully reflects the debate on restoration that was underway in Italy on the eve of the Athens conference. In fact, the project addressed all the various themes of restoration, and not merely those specifically tied to the field of archaeology (excavation, consolidation, integration or replacement of missing portions), but also architectural considerations, such as stratifications and the surrounding environment. In the work of integration and consolidation, traditional techniques were used, employing the same materials as in ancient times, along with modern-day ones (reinforced concrete and steel), evaluating each situation as it arose, with the most effective solution determined through direct experimentation in the field.

The aim of this article is to provide a description of the conditions and process which resulted in the recognition and promotion of industrial architecture in France. From the economic crises of the 1970s and 1980s interest began in the reuse of the vast obsolescent industrial enclaves at risk of demolition. The actions of university professors, architects and associations for the defence of heritage guided an open debate on the practice of tabula rasa. While the initial operations for the reuse of industrial heritage focused exclusively on unique monumental buildings such as the Gare d’Orsay in Paris, the reuse of these locations was progressively incorporated into national policies for sustainable development and redefining territories in crisis. This heritage now enjoys the same recognition as the oldest monumental architectures and is a driving force for the development of tourist routes within France.

The international organisation DoCoMoMo, founded in 1988 in Holland by the architects Hubert-Jan Henket and Wessel de Jonge, is renowned worldwide for its guardianship of modern architectural heritage. This article summarises the history of this organization and its links with UNESCO for adding works of the Modern Movement to the World Heritage List where, recently, the work of Le Corbusier has been incorporated. Special attention has been paid to protecting small-scale modern heritage, the contributions of national committees in the corresponding registers being of great importance to this task. Among those committees, the Iberian DoCoMoMo is worthy of mention for having documented more than 1,200 works in the different Registers of Modern Architecture from 1925 to 1965.