Built heritage perception through representation of its atmosphere

Abstract

A holistic view on the city was shaped under the influence of such fundamental works as the Image of the city by Kevin Lynch (1960), or Genius loci by Christan Norberg-Schulz (1979). Especially the latter publication defined the identity of places as a resultant of a number of factors, including intangible values, which allowed better understanding of the complexity and richness of the city phenomena Similar assumptions laid foundation for the recommendation on the protection of the historic urban landscape (HUL) adopted during the UNESCO General Conference in 2011. The above-mentioned issues are crucial for visualising built heritage, since not only shapes and dimensions are responsible for the proper understanding of the place. The intangible values are also of great importance. This is the main topic of the paper, which aims at presenting various methods and techniques in reconstructing and representing heritage buildings and areas. This is illustrated by case studies, based on the professional and didactic experience of authors. In particular, traditional hand-drawing techniques and computer-based visualisation methods are compared. Despite the adopted techniques the most important seems not only to achieve a certain level of accuracy but also to reflect genius loci of represented site. Both issues have to be well-balanced to achieve sustainable and satisfactory results.

Heritage interpretation through an architectural design

“…Ironically, those teams, who used analogue methods of representation achieved better results in this respect. Previous experiments and research conducted by author proved however that students would be capable of proper representing the "genius loci" of the place when instructed properly [6]. Yet, the representation issues were beyond the scope of the heritage conservation studio.…”

The Heritage Atmosphere to the Test of Appropriation : Case of the Kasbah of Algiers

“…Dans des contextes territoriaux qui présentent un cumul historique, une théorie des ambiances appliquée au patrimoine (Belakehal, 2012 ;Kepczynska-Walczak et Walczak, 2013 ;Saïd, 2014 ;Degen et Lewis, 2020 ;Hassan et Elkhateeb, 2021) a vu le jour, et ce conformément à la nouvelle acception du patrimoine. Cette nouvelle théorie propose la prise en charge du patrimoine dans toutes ses dimensions et accorde une attention particulière aux caractéristiques sensorielles, qui à leurs tours sont définies comme objet de reconnaissance partagée (Rautenberg, 2003).…”

Use of Cultural Heritage for Place Branding in Educational Projects: The Case of Smederevo and Golubac Fortresses on the Danube

“…The significance of environmental aesthetics for cultural heritage tourism is found in experiences that are related to the emotional uniqueness that tourists feel during the consumption of some cultural asset, but at the same time, environmental aesthetics is a constructive factor of the spirit of the place [27]. The authentic spirit of the place of the Smederevo and Golubac fortresses not only represents the potential driving force of tourism in this area, but also contributes to the rehabilitation and renewal of forgotten knowledge of heritage and its promotion through modern branding techniques and methods of cultural management.…”