Theme
Architecture Coexisting with World Heritage Sites
Brief
Currently, there are 851 World Heritage Sites. Natural heritage sites, cultural heritage sites and mixed heritage sites have been designated by UNESCO as monuments that have a universal value and should be shared by all mankind. The history within these sites tells us about our past, and by adding new sites, we help weave important moments of our history for future generations. We must not lose the historical interconnectedness that is created by these sites.
Historical heritages sites must be more that simply preserved in their current condition in order to maintain their relevance for the future:
people ought to be able to visit these heritages sites and learn from them.
Yet we must prevent the damage and environmental destruction that crowds of visitors create. The logistics of creating a world Heritages Site which both caters to a great number of visitors and which can be protected from the wear and strain on it caused by the public are central concerns in designing a plan such as this.
To achieve this aim, this year’s theme is “Architecture coexisting with World Heritage Sites.”
Applicants are free to choose any World Heritage Site, however they must make clear the reason for choosing that site. Applicants are also free to select any type of architecture to coexist with the site. There will certainly be many types of architecture, such as information booths, exhibition halls, hotels, restaurants, and viewing platforms. We would like proposals to show how the architecture will interact with the context and practical constraints of the World Heritage site.
Coexistence is not assimilation, nor is it harmony. It is two ideas coming from different premises that come together and raise the overall merit of the project by complementing each other.
I hope the competitors’ proposals will be intellectually enriching and beneficial to the meaning and significance of the World Heritage Site while at the same time present the attractiveness that can be found in contemporary architecture.
Submission Deadline
No later than July 25(Friday), 2008.
