Heritage Of Different Years

Heritage Of Different Years
Heritage Of Different Years

Video: Heritage Of Different Years

Video: Heritage Of Different Years
Video: 25. Understanding one’s culture - Educational video for Kids - Role-play conversation 2024, March
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The British newspaper The Guardian reports that UNESCO is warning the authorities of Seville: a skyscraper under construction there, designed by Cesar Pelli, will distort the historical appearance of the city, in particular its complex of World Heritage monuments: the cathedral, the Alcazar Palace and the Giralda minaret. The 40-storey tower "Puerto Triana" (178 m) is being erected on the opposite bank of the Guadalquivir from the historical center. Already in the process of the architectural competition, the authorities doubted the correctness of their decision, but decided not to back down from it, which they did for the last 4 years, during which UNESCO tried to achieve changes in the project. Now the building has reached a height of 12 floors; if international experts fail to come to an agreement with the changed administration of Seville, the city may be struck off the World Heritage List.

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Башня «Пуэрто Триана» в Севилье. Проект. Фотомонтаж. Вид из центра города
Башня «Пуэрто Триана» в Севилье. Проект. Фотомонтаж. Вид из центра города
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London is of the same concern and on the same occasion: there are several objects protected by it, but only one of them, the Tower, is in real danger. Simon Jenkins, a leading English journalist and chairman of the National Trust, writes that the nearby Shard London Bridge skyscraper designed by Renzo Piano (at 310 m of final height it should become the tallest in Western Europe) is already overwhelming the medieval fortress with its size. In addition, next to the Tower on the banks of the Thames, there are numerous modern structures that absolutely do not take into account the context: this forced UNESCO to classify London as one of the most carefree cities in Europe in relation to the heritage.

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But good news comes from England: The Telegraph describes a meticulous restoration of the Great Barn in Harmondsworth Village near Heathrow Airport. This wooden structure from 1426 is one of the largest and best in quality in the country; its length is 60 m, height and width are 11 m and 12 m, respectively. The barn was built at a noble estate and was privately owned, gradually deteriorating until the heritage conservation organization English Heritage acquired it in 2011 for 20 thousand pounds and restored it; next Easter it will open to visitors.

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There are medieval barns, comparable in size and monumentality to cathedrals, in many parts of the country, but so far the attitude towards them in society is cooler than towards estates and temples; at the same time, for example, the Great Tithe Barn in Great Coxwell with stone walls from the beginning of the 14th century. was one of the favorite buildings of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. English Heritage hopes that the functioning of the Harmondsworth Barn as a museum will draw public attention to the conservation issues of such structures.

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Washington is worried about a more "representative" legacy: it is completing a competition for projects to renovate three sections of the National Mall, the boulevard, which houses major US monuments and memorials, as well as major museums. The American capital is suspicious of architects (for example, the recent project of the Frank Gehry Eisenhower memorial was confronted by the descendants of Ike because of its lack of monumentality, which can be interpreted as “non-classical”). Nevertheless, according to ArchDaily, according to the winners, two of the three objects of the competition - the space around the temple-like Washington Memorial and the Constitution Gardens - will be designed by neo-modernists: Weiss / Manfredi bureau, together with landscape architects OLIN; they were chosen from hundreds of other applicants.

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Across the ocean from the United States, they are not so sensitive to heritage: in Beijing, developers demolished the house of Liang Sicheng, a researcher who created the history of Chinese architecture as a science from scratch in the middle of the 20th century; he was also engaged in the preservation of heritage, including in the Chinese capital, participated in the development of its master plan. In addition, he worked on projects of "national importance": he was the PRC representative in the architectural team of the UN building in New York, worked on the design of the national flag and coat of arms of China. His house was from the early 20th century. was part of the complex of hutongs - traditional neighborhoods that are gradually disappearing under the onslaught of modern buildings. They already tried to demolish it in 2009, but then the defenders of the heritage managed to defend the building, although it was seriously damaged. Now the developer chose New Year's Day for demolition (according to the Eastern calendar): no one expected the work to be carried out on a holiday, so the house could not be protected. Regional authorities said they would force the developer to "recreate" the researcher's house, although the heritage guardians suggested creating a memorial park there instead of a remake.

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Much more fortunate was another dwelling of a prominent cultural figure - Frank Gehry's own home in Santa Monica, California (1978): the American Institute of Architects honored it with the Twenty-five Year Award for 2012. It is awarded to buildings that were built 25–35 years ago and have not lost the relevance of the solution, function and program over the years. According to the architect, this house of inexpensive materials was a criticism of the “symbols” (including architectural ones) of the middle class, to which Gehry himself belonged. Now the building remains a "commentary" on the traditional type of home in the American and European suburbs.

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But if the "young" Gehry building received an award for buildings of its "age", then the "young" French viaduct Millau (2004), designed by Norman Foster and engineer Michel Virlogeux, claims to be a World Heritage Site. According to Le Moniteur, this concrete bridge (343 m high) and the cast-iron Garabi railway bridge (122 m high; 1884, the authors of the project are the Gustave Eiffel bureau) are planned to be submitted to UNESCO in the near future. The initiators of the application believe that these amazing structures, demonstrating the highest achievements of architectural and engineering thought of the late 19th and early 21st centuries, respectively, are worthy of the highest praise of humankind.

N. F.

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