What is Conservation?

Conservation as a word is open to a number of interpretations and can describe a variety of philosophical stances in relation to the natural and built environments.  Its ethic can be invoked from motives as hardheaded and materialistic as cost minimization by those concerned, for example, with energy conservation and the efficient use of scarce resources.  Its umbrella is also wide enough to shelter those who subscribe to the doctrine that the rich tapestry of time expressed in the fabric of historic cities on the one hand, and the wilderness of nature on the other, are essential to man’s psychological well-being and can add to the quality of life.

The amount of change that can be accepted also varies; the spectrum ranges from out-and-out preservation, associated particularly with those concerned with caring for the more fragile niches of the natural environment, to an acceptance, particularly in the management of historic city centres, that policies of preservation and restoration must be accompanied by selective demolition to create open space and to allow the introduction of some new buildings and appropriate economic activities.

The man-made environment is continually rebuilt to reflect changing motives, attitudes and tastes as societies evolve politically, economically and technically.  Many of the beauties that we cherish so dearly today only exist because of the demolition of what once stood in their place.

While the conservation and preservation of buildings is familiar and has been a long history, the idea of the conservation of towns or parts of towns is a relatively new phenomenon.  This was acknowledged in the European Charter of the Architectural Heritage adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, that proclaimed, at the Congress of the European Architectural Heritage held in Amsterdam in October 1975,

“the European architectural heritage consists not only of our most important monuments: it also includes the groups of lesser buildings in our old towns and characteristic villages in their natural or man-made settings”.

For many years, only major monuments were protected and restored and then without reference to their surroundings.  More recently, it has been realised that if the surroundings are impaired even major monuments can lose much of their character.

Today, it is recognised that entire groups of buildings, even if they do not include any single example of outstanding merit, may have an atmosphere that gives them the quality of works of art, welding different periods and styles into a harmonious whole.  Such groups should also be preserved.  The architectural heritage is an expression of history and helps us to understand the relevance of the past to contemporary life.