Summary of the courses of built heritage conservation by prof. Thomas Coomans, illustrated with images from the powerpoints provided. This course can be part of the 'Master in de kunstwetenschappen', 'Master in de ingenieurswetenschappen: architectuur', 'Courses for Exchange Students Faculty of Eng...
SUMMARY BUILT HERITAGE
CONSERVATION
By Prof. dr. Thomas Coomans
Kate Vanhoutte
,Table of Contents
Built heritage conserva�on – prof. Coomans .......................................................................................... 2
1a Introduc�on – KU Leuven Heritage ................................................................................................ 2
1b What a�er the fire?........................................................................................................................ 3
2. Heritage – Monument – Memory ................................................................................................... 5
3. Time – Space – Place: Heritage as palimpsest ................................................................................ 7
4. From the origins of an Organized Heritage Policy (1789-1840) to Na�onal Monuments .............. 9
5. Conserva�on or Restora�on? Na�onal Monuments, Stylis�c Restora�ons & Na�onal Iden��es
in the Nineteenth Century ................................................................................................................ 13
6. Protec�on as fundament of conserva�on policy .......................................................................... 15
7. Interna�onal documents............................................................................................................... 18
7.1 Athens 1931 ............................................................................................................................ 18
7.2 Venice 1964............................................................................................................................. 20
7.3 ICOMOS charters, resolutions and declarations (EUROPE) .................................................... 23
8. Heritage values – heritage value assessment ............................................................................... 25
9. Re- construct/ -build/ -create: The ethical debate........................................................................ 28
10. World heritage ............................................................................................................................ 30
11. Authen�city................................................................................................................................. 33
12. Living heritage – Intangible World Heritage ............................................................................... 35
13. Adap�ve reuse of Church buildings – the most challenging heritage issue in Europe ............... 37
14. Contested heritage – Shared built heritage. The challenge of mutual understanding ............... 40
1
,Built heritage conserva�on – prof. Coomans
1a Introduc�on – KU Leuven Heritage
University of Leuven
- University uses public spaces in the city for certain rituals
Intangible heritage constantly interacts with tangible heritage
Combina�on of old & new (old rituals in old buildings with new people &
new words)
Leuven: destruc�on & commemora�on 04-08-1914
- Destruc�on of Leuven: German forces + phosphor bombs destroyed a lot of buildings
Memorial stones in facades when rebuilding. Buildings were rebuilt in neo-styles
Memorial monument on Martelarenplein: obelisk with light that always burns = always
remember
Leuven library: destruc�on, reconstruc�on and memorial 29-08.1914
- Destruc�on of the university library = inten�onal destruc�on of knowledge and heritage
“stronger culture” looks down upon “weaker culture”
Cultural crime (just like destruc�on of Reims cathedral)
Library rebuilt by the Americans (220 schools & universi�es that donated or aided in
reconstruc�ng the collec�on & the building) = symbol of interna�onal solidarity = culture
is stronger than violence
Leuven: Martyr & memory 1914-2014 & 1918-2018
- 100 years commemora�on of WOI
- RAVAGE
Art & culture during �mes of conflict
- HERLEVEN
Cycle of life and death: life is always stronger and come back in ravaged ci�es
Scars & memories remain
Leuven: Academic memory
- 2014: Commemora�ng 500 years of Vesalius = first book on anatomy
- 2016: Commemora�ng 500 years Utopia by Thomas More
- 2018-2019: Commemora�ng the family of Arenberg
- KU Leuven uses heritage to teach
Many campuses are in heritage buildings
2
,HERKUL KU Leuven ins�tute for Cultural Heritage
- Inter- & transdisciplinary ins�tute
custodian of its own cultural heritage (big & diverse por�olio) & organiza�on serving
society through research endeavors
Facilitates & supports coordinated ac�ons in the domain of cultural heritage within KUL &
other relevant stakeholders
Provides incredible interdisciplinary exper�se
Leuven: Heritage and use/ adap�ve reuse
- KUL = founded in a failing city (economy & closed industry) to revive it
- In the city = always dialogue between old & new
Past is everywhere, interac�on between students & heritage is important
HOWEVER: heritage is normalized, there is no awareness for the past because it is
everywhere in a city looking towards the future => crucial to understand the past when
designing new things
Conclusion
- City & university have intertwined history, coopera�ng to find a balance between studying &
preserving the past & looking towards the future
Leuven is par�cularly interes�ng: heritage is everywhere, memory is an important aspect
of the iden�ty of the city & university is embedded in this memory/iden�ty
1b What a�er the fire?
= lesson about the complexity of decision making in heritage reconstruc�on cases & coordina�on of
cra�smen => one aim: restoring a cultural symbol
Notre Dame Cathedral – Paris (12th – 14th century, gothic, WH)
- Paris = birthplace of Gothic architecture (ND masterpiece of Goth. Arch., visited by
tourists & worshipper from all over the world)
- Constant work maintaining the building -> scaffolding since 2010 to renovate roof
& spire by VLD (ver�cal connec�on to heaven, VLDs restora�on in 1859)
- Fire in the a�c in 2019 -> wooden structure burned completely + spire acted as a
chimney accelera�ng leaving behind a stone ruin
- Towers were saved (if the wooden structure of the belfry would have caught fire, the bells
would come down, destroying much more)
Catastrophe and immediate reac�ons – mourning, responsibility, unanimity
- Immediate mourning from all over the world + dona�ons (millions)
- President Macron: church will be rebuilt in 5 years + compe��on to rebuild spire
Poli�cal statement since the ND is such an important symbol for France. President wants
to be the one to fix it and definitely in �me for the Olympics
3
, Gothic Architecture – Timber carpentry & stone vaults
- ROOF STRUCTURE: forest of oak beams & trusses above the vaults, leaning on the side walls.
Fire couldn’t be blocked = wait un�l all the wood has burned
Vaults resist the fire & protect inside
2 vaults collapsed but inside was dampened to protect from fire. Ribs are the
structural element through which the forces travel, inside is filling (this part
collapsed)
Lead roof covering liquidized with heat and is toxic -> decontamina�on was
needed first
- Example: Metz Cathedral fire 1877
Fireworks for the German emperor landed on the roof, vaults survived
- Loca�on: in the heart of Paris, 18th C = main building of Paris
- Tourism & worship: 12-14 million visitors
- Art & history:
relics, stained glass (thousands of people helped evacuate all the items)
Birth of the French Empire: French emperors were coronated in ND
Roman�cism in the 19th C made Goth. Arch. Popular in the city (Victor Hugo – Hunchback
of ND where the hero is the building)
- Ra�onalism/building archaeology/stylis�c restora�on: Viollet-Le-Duc
Designed the spire + replaced statues destroyed during the revolu�on
Stepped structure on the spire is not a medieval element, was invented by VLD
Conserva�on scenarios – Conserve or replace? Iden�cal restora�on or new crea�on
- Four different scenarios a�er destruc�on or damage:
- Original state / materials tradi�onal cra�smanship:
reconstruc�ng to the original state with the same kind
of materials and the tradi�onal techniques
France has the compagnon du devoir = cra�smen
that have the knowledge of the construc�on ways
of the Middle Ages
- New original state / todays technologies: reconstruct
to its original state but using todays technologies
On the outside it looks like how it used to be but behind the scenes there could be
anything: iron, reinforced concrete, brick or wood
- New form / Historic significance: new building or addi�on that is clearly different than the
original structure but acknowledges & interprets the history of the building
- New form / Contemporary crea�on: new building or addi�on that has nothing to do with the
history of the building
4
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