Authenticity in Architectural Heritage Conservation

Architectural Conservation Book Review
Authenticity in Architectural
Heritage Conservation
By: Springer International Publishing AG
Presented By:
Fatima Malik
Mehak Mahmood
Iram Malik
Tayyaba Azam
Asfandyar Zahid
Contents
Architectural Heritage Conservation in Part II: Case Studies From East Asia
South and East Asia and in Europe:
Restoration and Conservation of Yisu
Contemporary Practices
Society Theatre in Xi'an
Thoughts on the conservation of World

War II Ruins in Germany
Architectural Authenticity in Chinese
Heritage Theme Parks
Part I: Case Studies From South Asia

Authenticity In Japan
Humayun Tomb Conservation
Preservation from 1997-2003
Materials Authenticity and Conservation Part III: Interviews

Tradition In Nepal
The Problem According to John Marshall
"It should never be forgotten that the ancient
At the end of the nineteenth and at the
buildings historical value is gone when
beginning of the twentieth century, a
their authenticity is destroyed, and that our
controversy arose in Europe.
first duty is not to renew them but to preserve
It was basically for the historical restoration of
them".
buildings.
Arguments Authenticity
To conceptualize ideas about the integrity of Aspects of authenticity play a role in many
buildings. fields connected with heritage.
Concern for the respective architectural In fact, each culture give authenticity a
heritage was considered in the discussion. different meaning, and that meaning also
The aesthetic and historical value, age shifts its ground over time.
value, and materiality.
Notions of This study provides a reflect on the concept of
authenticity in heritage preservation by
Authenticity
capturing its relation to new understandings
Authenticity has become a controversial of validity based on the pluralism of cultures,
matter. Reflections on authenticity indicate traditions, and scientific paradigms.
the unclear entanglement that
Management Guidelines
exists between the use of the term to refer:
aesthetic validity (of a monument) The Management Guidelines for World Cultural
the aesthetic idea (of the builder) Heritage Sites was in this respect,
the aesthetic experience (e.g., of each merely requesting maximum retention of “historical
generation). material” in any intervention aiming at the restoration
of a historical structure.
Major Focus
Identity: Integrity
This case study focus on the major
transcultural issues in regard to the It is described there as “a composite quality
conceptual history of the notion of connoting original workmanship, original
authenticity location, and intangible
elements of feeling and association.
The Preservation of Fragments of the
Hall of Horyu Ji Temple
Location: Japan
Preserved After: fire in 1949
The structure was preserved with

original timber and wood
elements.
The storehouse preserved the
columns which were dismantled
due to the fire.
28 columns were charred and
now are preserved as an
important cultural property.
THE IDEA OF PLACE IN THE PRACTICE
OF RESTORATION AND REPLICATION
IN INDIA
01
THE BEGINNINGS OF CONSERVATION IN BRITISH INDIA
The modern system of “protecting” architectural heritage was introduced about 150 years
ago, when the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was established by the British colonial
government.
The colonial objectives and visions were, however, limited to the preservation of only the
exemplary Indian monumental heritage.
India in the nineteenth century is characterised by the exploration by European surveyors

and scholars who “discovered” its people, cultures, and monuments.
The terms of discovery finally determined the nature of further engagement with the
discovered architectural heritage.
Thus traditional cultures of conservation were replaced by a new, and at the same time
Eurocentric, culture.
This process has been continuously defining the contemporary objectives of architectural
heritage protection in India.
HUMAYUN’S TOMB: CONSERVATION
AND RESTORATION
A MUGHAL TOMB
Emperor Humayun (1508–1556 CE), the second of the great Mughal ruler.
Completion of the restoration was made by the Aga Khan in 1997, on the occasion of the 50th
anniversary of India’s independence, to restore the Tomb’s gardens.
Six years of conservation works and 200,000 work days undertaken by master craftsmen
have been required to restore the Tomb’s Mughal finery.
Humayun’s Tomb was built on a far grander scale than any earlier tomb in the Islamic world.
It was constructed under the supervision of Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, a Persian whose father had
worked for Babur.
Humayun’s Tomb was set amidst an enclosed charbagh (chahar bagh, a garden with four
quadrants) inspired by the description of paradise in the Holy Quran and built along the banks
of the river Yamuna.
Part of the “outstanding universal value” accorded to this World Heritage Site is the fact that
the Humayun Tomb complex is a unique ensemble of sixteenth century garden tombs.
CONSERVATION SYSTEMS IN INDIA
Soon after construction, Humayun’s Tomb became a place of pilgrimage for

the Mughal emperors.
In the early decades of the twentieth

century, the protection and preservation of monuments considered to be of
“significance” became a major concern of contemporary archeologists and
engineers.
As the role of the local craftsmen became almost irrelevant in

conservation, “modern” materials such as cement began to be
used across the country, and machines replaced hand tools in a
manner that in retrospect proved to be inappropriate to serious
conservation work.
THE HISTORY OF THE GARDEN RESTORATION (1997–2003)
In 1993, Humayun’s Tomb was designated a World Heritage Site

by UNESCO. As such, it was considered to be of significance to
“mankind as a whole” and not only for the people of Delhi or India.
When the World Heritage designation was given, the International

Council of Monuments and Sites expert review recognized that
the Humayun Tomb gardens were in a poor state of repair and
that restoration was required.
In 1997, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture offered to join forces with
the Archaeological Survey of India to restore the gardens.
Surprising as it may sound, this was to be the first garden

restoration and also the first privately funded and implemented
conservation.
And its function as a setting for one of the most spectacular

From 1849 and shows buildings built by the Mughals.
water channels Thus the aim of the garden restoration project, besides restoring
and tanks. the layout, significant elements, levels, flowing water, and repair
of deteriorated elements, was also to enhance the setting of the
monument and to create an important public space in the heart of
Delhi.
View from the roof of Humayun’s Tomb
overlooking the Sundar Nursery
VIEW OF HUMAYUN’S TOMB AFTER THE
RESTORATION OF ITS WATER SYSTEM IN 2003.
North-east corner, six palm trees on each

of the four corners of the tomb platform,
and large ficus trees at the four corners
of the squares created by intersecting
pathways.
With the example of Humayun’s Tomb and the urban renewal initiative in Delhi ,
created a new and traditional techniques are married to state-of-the-art methods.

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Architectural Conservation Book Review

Thoughts on the conservation of World

Part I: Case Studies From South Asia

Materials Authenticity and Conservation Part III: Interviews

The structure was preserved with

India in the nineteenth century is characterised by the exploration by European surveyors

Soon after construction, Humayun’s Tomb became a place of pilgrimage for

In the early decades of the twentieth

As the role of the local craftsmen became almost irrelevant in

In 1993, Humayun’s Tomb was designated a World Heritage Site

When the World Heritage designation was given, the International

Surprising as it may sound, this was to be the first garden

And its function as a setting for one of the most spectacular

North-east corner, six palm trees on each

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