the Newsletter

Transcription

the Newsletter

Wed 1 Jul 2009
Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation
NEWSLETTER
Issue IV - July 2009
EDITORIAL!
!
!
03
HAPPENINGS! !
!
05-12
GLOBE TROTTING!
!
13-19
PROJECT WORLD!
!
20-26
THESIS GALLERY!
!
27-32
MASTER CLASS!
!
33-39
IN MEMORIAM!!
!
40
VISITORS!
!
41
!
General Editor: Koenraad Van Balen
Text Editor: Hsien-yang Tseng
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
1
RLICCNEWSLETTER Wed 1 Jul 2009
Courtyard of Arenberg Castle under snow, January 2009 ©Hsien-yang Tseng
1
The contributors to this NewsLetter have made every effort to indicate the owners of the copyright of the images used herein.
In case of oversight, please contact the RLICC at [email protected].
2
I take on the appeal launched in the previous
Newsletter, in the limits of this short editorial, to
justly and properly clarify the fundamental role that
Raymond M. Lemaire played in the formulation of
the Venice Charter.
In the Newsletter no.3 of RLICC, it was pointed
out how ephemeral and fleeting human memory is.
In this particular and difficult historical moment in
which we live, in which we are overwhelmed by
real-time communication of events happening
everywhere in the world, in which our history is so
rapidly and continuously being built, we feel the
need to witness and comment with precision upon
important events that informed key moments in the
development of our professional ethic.
With this newsletter, that wants to be neither
fleeting nor ephemeral, we would like to testify to
how important Raymond M. Lemaire´s role was in
the formulation of the Venice Charter in 1964. By
now the Venice Charter has become a historical
document that has provided a solid and clear
platform supporting the theoretical and operative
arguments for every restoration project designed
and realized in Europe -but not only in Europesince 1964.
Topics of the Nara Conference in 1994 included
the critical investigation into and the evolution of
thinking about the “preservation of memory,” into
the concept of authenticity, and the need to devote
more resources and attention to the protection of
the immaterial heritage. All of these topics
germinated from the 16 articles of the final draft of
the Venice Charter written by Raymond M.
Lemaire during the week of the Venice Meeting. In
that meeting chaired by Pietro Gazzola, Raymond
M. Lemaire, as rapporteur of the main session of
the Meeting, managed to mediate the contributions
of all the participants, optimizing them, thanks to
his thorough knowledge of the subjects discussed.
I was a direct witness to what I write here. I was
present during the whole of the Venice Conference
and I saw the Exhibition that was held during the
Meeting which showed a vast variety of projects
that were under process at that time in 62 countries
in the World.
To Raymond M. Lemaire´s fundamental
contribution to the Venice Charter’s final draft, we
have to add the creation of the RLICC, funded by
him 33 years ago. Since those heroic years the
“Centre” has been at the forefront of protecting the
heritage that today we define as Heritage of
Humanity.
By Andrea Bruno, President of RLICC
EDITORIAL
Editorial from the President[1]
The great innovation upon which Raymond M.
Lemaire based his teaching program, was the
involvement of professionals from every part of the
world in a program that brought together the
expertise of historians of architecture, architects,
archeologists and engineers, and created a new
professional profile, one able to cross examine
heritage conservation projects in such a way as to
ensure respect for authenticity and for cultural
memory.
As of today, over 600 “alumni” of the Raymond
M. Lemaire Centre have worked in every continent,
contributing to the quality of preservation of
historic buildings. As well as these 600, many others
in the future could “find the road to Leuven.”
Endnote
[1] We thank Sheri Saperstein for her help with
reviewing.
3
EDITORIAL
4
Highlights of the content
By Andrea Bruno, President of RLICC
An important part of the newsletter reports on the
inauguration of the UNESCO Chair on preventive
conservation, monitoring and maintenance (pages
5-9) in March. The 3D documentation workshop
(page 10) with the help of English Heritage, The
Getty Conservation Institute and Parks Canada but
also the ICOMOS CIPA Heritage documentation
seminar in Brussels (page 11) contributed to the
ongoing training activities in that field. At the
international level the RLICC contributed to
Euromed Heritage in Morroco (page 18); to Forum
Unesco University and Heritage in Vietnam (page
13) and to the protection activities in Preah Vihear
in Cambodia (page 13). The study trip to
Stockholm followed the same scheme as last year
and addressed “Reworking the Modern” (pages
14-17). A group of students from European
Universities were introduced in understanding and
valuing Art Nouveau during an intensive ATHENS
Program organized in close collaboration with the
RLICC (page 19). The World Heritage City
Preservation management project with the
University of Cuenca in Ecuador got support from
Belgian civil engineering students and the
Reyntjens Laboratory for studying damage to
materials in earthen structures (page 19). At the
end of the academic year it is also time to give
room to the students to report on the results of the
project work in which they were involved. They
studied monuments in Leuven, Knokke and
Wezemaal (pages 20-26). Authors of three of the
thesis works presented give a brief summary of the
outcome of their research (pages 27-31). At the
doctoral level we are pleased to inform you on the
PhD research of Ozlem Cizer that deals with the
competition between hydration and carbonation of
lime based mortars (page 32). An interesting
workshop on urbanism was organized by Paul
Lievevrouw promoting a dialogue between
students, Andrew Barnett and Philip Stein on the
matter (page 33). Second-year students carry out
an internship and four of them report on their
experience. Luis Albers summarizes his experience
with surveying a University building (page 34). Ben
De Vriendt, Thomas De Vos and Barbara Fogarasi
report their valuable experience resulting from
collaboration with the Council of Europe (pages
35-39). Finally we share with you important news
from the RLICC alumni community (pages 40).
By Cristina Purcar, PhD candidate, Department of Architecture (ASRO), K.U.Leuven
In late March the Raymond Lemaire
International Centre for Conservation (RLICC)
at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium
(K.U.Leuven) inaugurated the UNESCO Chair
on Preventive Conservation, Maintenance and
Monitoring of Monuments and Sites, hosting a
two-day international seminar. The seminar
celebrated an achievement that stands as
recognition of the Centre’s international
prestige and impact on the education in the
field of built heritage conservation, spanning
over more than three decennia. The UNESCO
chair is established at the RLICC, in
collaboration with Monumentenwacht Vlaanderen
(MWVl) and the University of Cuenca
(Ecuador). Gathering over 180 participants of
more than 20 nationalities, the event consisted
of a first day of key-note speeches and of a
second day of three thematic seminars, each
accompanied by a collection of related posters.!
Honoured by the presence of the K.U.Leuven
rector, Prof. M. Vervenne, of representatives of
the Flemish Government Minister-President,
Mr. K. Peeters and of the World Heritage
Centre Director, Prof. F. Bandarin, the
inaugural speeches have stressed the
significance of the PRECOM3OS UNESCO
Chair for the field of conservation. The Chair is
aimed at promoting international collaboration,
training and research activities related to the
emerging concept of preventive conservation,
through the establishment (since October 2007)
of an open network that allows the exchange of
experiences among its worldwide-spread
members.!
for preventive conservation, monitoring and
maintenance, 24-25 March 2009, Leuven
HAPPENINGS
Inauguration of UNESCO Chair
The RLICC was established in 1976 in Bruges
by Raymond Lemaire (1921-1997) under the
umbrella of the College of Europe and has
been part of the K.U.Leuven since 1981.
Raymond Lemaire was the main author of
conservation milestones such as the Venice
Charter as well as the initiator of
groundbreaking conservation and restoration
projects in Belgium and abroad. Bringing
together architects, art historians, civil
engineers, archaeologists, sociologists and other
young professionals with an interest in
conservation, the RLICC offers an advanced
international and interdisciplinary two-year
study programme in the conservation and
restoration of historic monuments and sites,
under the presidency of Andrea Bruno and the
directorship of Prof. Koen Van Balen, the
UNESCO Chair holder.!
Inauguration of the
UNESCO chair and
appointment of the
chair holder
Left
Prof. Koenraad Van
Balen and Rector
Marc Vervenne
©Rob Stevens
Right
Rector Marc
Vervenne and Dr.
Alex Valck
representing
Janssen
Pharmaceutica
Fund
©Rob Stevens
The following
photos were all
taken by
Rob Stevens
5
The RLICC is joined in the establishment and
management of the Chair by another
important Belgian actor in the field of
conservation, the Monumentenwacht Vlaanderen
(Monuments Watch Flanders), an independent
advisory body based on voluntary membership,
founded in 1991 as a bottom-up approach
policy of the Flemish government. As shown by
its president, Prof. Luc Verpoest and by its
director, Mr s. Anouk Stulens at the
inauguration, Monumentenwacht has its
philosophical foundations in the 1964 Charter
of Venice, which states that the significance of
the built cultural heritage can only be sustained
if the physical assets are maintained
appropriately and systematically. Also
Bénédicte Selfslagh (ICOMOS International)
argued that in the Venice charter most of the
principles of preventive conservation were
already stated. L. Verpoest reminded the
audience that the Charter fostered an
architectural approach to conservation and
restoration, conceiving of heritage as an
e s s e n t i a l c o m p o n e n t o f t o d a y ' s bu i l t
environment. In other words, conservation is “in defence of
architecture” and preservation is regarded as heritage
development. He argued that if conservation can be too
conservative, preventive conservation is very much
progressive and even avant-garde. The sustainability of the
Monumentenwacht approach is a case in point. Starting from
the realisation that “prevention is better than cure” and
that maintenance is only implementable through
awareness of the owner s and of the public,
Monumentenwacht assists its members through on-site advice,
regular condition surveys to heritage sites, long term
maintenance planning and through maintenance reports
to be used for maintenance grant applications. Four main
conservation goals are thereby achieved: the retention of
authentic material, cost-effective management, public
involvement and raised awareness.!
As the third main partner in the UNESCO Chair’s
establishment, the University of Cuenca (Ecuador) was
represented at the inauguration by the rector, Prof. Fausto
Cardoso. Through the collaboration project Development
of Management Tools for Preservation of World Heritage
Cities, the Cuenca University provides a specific input to
the PRECOM3OS network, bringing to the fore the
conservation issues pertaining to World Heritage (WH)
sites in the developing countries.!
The importance of the long term perspective on heritage
conservation has been already seized and implemented by
UNESCO, by introducing the Periodic Reporting about
the state of conservation of World Heritage Sites. As
announced by director Francesco Bandarin, the 2nd cycle
of Periodic Reports, to be implemented as of 2010,
constitutes a substantially improved long-term tool,
compared to the first cycle. He stressed that maintenance
and monitoring are neither independent, nor specifically
heritage-related fields (think for instance about their
importance in health care) and that they should be
conceived as ‘flows,’ whereas restoration should remain a
punctual, exceptional intervention. While noticing that the
word ‘monitoring’ is actually missing from the World
Heritage (WH) Convention, Cristina Cameron (Canada
Research Chair on Built Heritage) stressed that one of the
research challenges for the conservation of WH Sites is the
continuously evolving notion of both the conception and
6
the perception of what heritage is (from the isolated
building to the streetscapes, neighbourhoods and
landscapes). Therefore, the credibility of WH sites should
derive from their being paradigms of conservation and
management. These exceptional sites should be models but
this is unfortunately not always the case. One of the main
problems is to ensure the retaining of the properties that
motivated their inscription on the WH List in the first
place. To this aim, C. Cameron put forth three main
challenges for research and action: technical conservation,
management and social involvement. The conservation of
what often are so fragile resources has to deal with diverse
menaces, ranging from the effects of climate change, such
as the disappearing of water tables to the socio-economical
problems of development, especially affecting the sites of
the WH List in Danger.!
The presentations and discussions during the second day of
the inauguration have been structured in three thematic
seminars, the main issues thereof having already been
launched during the invited speeches of the first day
afternoon. The first thematic seminar “Recording,
documentation and information system for monitoring for
preventive maintenance” was chaired by Mario Santana
Quintero (Assist. Prof. RLICC, K.U.Leuven). The
chairman’s introduction put forth the problem of the
“gap” often existing between what heritage conservators
and users need and what technology users provide, in
terms of the heritage documentation relevance. Only if it
is correctly used can heritage documentation play an
effective role in the safeguarding of the significance and
integrity of heritage places, by providing timely and
sufficient information for preventive maintenance
strategies, argued M. Santana. The performance of
heritage records and the ways to assess it was also
addressed by Bill Blake (UK, ICOMOS Heritage
Documentation committee). He maintained that an
appropriate response to information requirements should
be informed by understanding not only the significance of
heritage places but equally the performance of capture
techniques. Combining direct and indirect recording
techniques (i.e. selective or conversely un-differentiated as
to the points of capture) requires metric skills that must be
developed and maintained within any organisation active
in managing heritage assets.!
Special issues related to scale, the quantity and nature of
the collected data are raised when an entire city is at stake,
as addressed by Veronica Heras (RLICC, K.U.Leuven),
analysing the case of heritage documentation management
in Cuenca (Ecuador) and the potentialities of databases
and of heritage-applied GIS. The difficulties posed by
implementing preventive monitoring and conservation in
an extensive and complex archaeological site (such as the
Archéoforum of Liège) were discussed by Nancy Verstraelen
and Jean-Marc Léotard. They highlighted the potential
conflict between conservation on the one hand and the ongoing archaeological research and public visitation of the
site, together with the interferences induced by the
surrounding urban milieu, on the other hand. At the scale
of the individual monument or group of monuments, a
special contribution was made by Friedmund Hueber
(Chair of the Austrian Council of Monuments). He
emphasized the importance of monument evaluation plans
that are independent of any project. Prepared in advance
and addressing the monument directly, instead of merely
evaluating the impact of the proposed changes, the
evaluation plans should foster preventive conservation by
generating more certainty: among the owners as to the
building’s potential marketability; among the restoration
project designers who can base their project on an alreadyauthorised evaluation plan; finally among the public at
large, by eliminating the impression of arbitrariness
associated with value assessments that are carried out after
the projects’ elaboration. Methodological improvement of
heritage assessments is also the main goal of MAKSin, a
new recording system developed by Monumentenwacht
Vlaanderen, presented by Veerle Meul. To increase the
effectiveness of the evaluation reports for conservation
planning, the system relies on a sharper priority ranking of
conservation strategies, focusing conservation efforts on the
parts that are not only most valued but also most at risk.!
Chaired by Alain Bourdin (Institut Français d'Urbanisme,
Université Paris VIII), the second thematic seminar was
dedicated to the social aspects of preventive conservation.
A. Bourdin pleaded for the creation of multi-actor forums,
where specialists and non-specialists work together to
produce collective knowledge, in the form of a common
vision, a project coalition that must exceed the limits of the
site itself; acknowledging and assuming the consequences
of gentrification or other social and economical disorders
inevitably linked to urban rehabilitation projects. This
implies a “moderate staging” that prefers “conscious
conservation” (conscious about its inevitable consequences)
to “authenticity.” Similarly, more modest, gentle and clever
tactics to safeguard monuments were advocated by Hsienyang Tseng, (RLICC). Through four cases of negotiating
with demolition in Taiwan, he stressed the need of
emphasizing the common instead of the competing values,
of raising the public awareness and confidence in the legal
system, especially in a context of contested identities such
as the post-colonial one. These ideas were generated by the
study of apparently paradoxical situations such as the case
of a contested ruler memorial, in which listing may have
accelerated demolition; the case of the leprosarium that
revealed facing unhonourable history to be a painful
lesson; the cases of Japanese colonial houses when the state
became itself the promoter of demolition; or the case of
individual civil houses in which listing may accelerate
intentional demolition for fear of ‘freezing’ development.
Consequently, H. Tseng proposed conceiving of
“safeguarding as the management of urban desires.”!
With no less than seven other paper contributions, the first
thematic seminar touched upon a variety of issues related
to the use of documentation in preventive conservation.
These included reviews of state-of-the-art surveying
techniques such as image-assisted total stations, terrestrial
laser scanning, digital photogrammetric solutions with offthe-shelf digital cameras and thermal imaging systems, as
presented by José Luis Lerma, (Assoc. Prof., Polytechnic
University of Valencia), or the panophotographic
documentation - immersive and interactive panoramic
images, as presented by Tito Dupret. Aspects of structural
monitoring have been discussed by Koen Van Balen and
Luc Schueremans (K.U.Leuven), introducing nondestructive monitoring techniques such as the hydrostatic
levelling systems for accurate measurement of differential
settlements, acoustic emission techniques, 3Dlaserscanning or geo-electric measurements, illustrated
through various case-studies.!
In the case of vernacular architecture, preventive
conservation and maintenance implies the transmission of
immaterial, ‘traditional’ construction knowledge, as shown
by Mariana Correia (Oxford Brookes University). To know
how to maintain you must know how to build,
you must understand the rationality of the
original construction, argued M. Correia.
Since most of the times, new materials and
building techniques are proven unsustainable
in traditional built environments, the challenge
consists in generating awareness about and
social involvement with the (re)use of
traditional construction knowledge. Also the
contribution of Meiping Wu (RLICC &
Southeast University, Nanjing, China) touched
upon ancient traditions in preventive
conservation and maintenance. While before
the 1950s, in China craftsmen were crying
their services on the streets and owners were
often building and maintenance experts
themselves, after the 1950s, the state became
the owner, communities were lost and
conservation work has been under the
government’s auspices with the consequent
decreased community effort and the loss of
traditional preventive attitudes.!
7
An interesting perspective on social
values was proposed by Randall
Mason (University of Pennsylvania)
who addressed the fundamental yet
little considered question, whether
conservation is indeed an end in itself
or rather the means to some other
end (such as reconciliation, social
well-being, prosperity, cultural
comfort)? Social values are viewed as
the non-heritage values of heritage
places. They may be ‘positive,’
attracting new audiences to the
heritage places (such as a
contemporary art exhibition in an
h i s t o r i c a l s i t e ) o r c o nve r s e l y,
‘negative’, running contrary to the
wish to preserve (such as the sites of
racial persecution or the places
associated with other painful events).
Since, as noticed by Marco Acri
(University of Nova Gorica), for
‘ h e r i t a g e p e o p l e ’ c o m mu n i t y
involvement is often a means to fund
raising, one has to insist asking the
question of what is actually being
targeted: community development or
heritage preservation or, in C. Cameron’s
words: is it conservation for revitalization or is it
revitalization for conservation? Moreover, a more thorough
understanding of what communities actually are, of what
affinities bring individuals together, should be at the core of
any attempt to approach communities through heritage
with a positive and efficient reciprocity, argued M. Acri.!
The third thematic seminar was dedicated to legal and
economical aspects of preventive conservation, and was
chaired by Nigel Dann (University of the West of England)
and Terje Nypan (Rijksantikvaren, Norway). T. Nypan
started from the necessity to distinguish and eliminate the
confusion that is often made between two different
categories of heritage: protected buildings versus valuable
but not protected buildings. Legislation is often insufficient
in order to ensure that the second category of heritage gets
sufficient reward for the many, highly profitable uses it is
usually put to, including concerts and spectacles,
conferences, shopping, production, books, maps, branding,
leisure and outdoor activities. One also has to be aware of
the inherent limitation of economic studies when it comes
to heritage, since monetary value is not the main value of
heritage. T. Nypan also addressed the often inadvertent
impact of the EU directives on cultural heritage, such as
by forbidding the commercialization of traditional wooden
tar treatments, which rendered the maintenance of
traditional wooden structures problematic. There is room
he argued, to contribute to improving the EU directives on
built heritage so they become less prescriptive and allow for
more creativity.!
N. Dann’s reflections focused on the economical
implications of preventive conservation, deeming it
aspirational indeed, but nonetheless necessary and
achievable. Heritage resources, just like natural resources
are non-renewable; therefore it is essential to prevent any
unnecessary loss. The inherent concerns for futurity and
equity reinforce the essentially sustainable nature of
preventive conservation. While informed management
appears the key issue, it is however often frustrated by
many drawbacks such as: financial short term thinking; the
8
fact that you actually get nothing ‘new’ from preventive
conservation; the status of maintenance as a relatively lowstated profession; the fact that maintenance is relatively
unattractive to contractors because of its limited scope
compared to that of restoration for instance. In the end, in
the UK at least, maintenance remains the individual
owners’ responsibility, since it does not seem to save the
state any money. Indeed, government policies are
sometimes at odds with conservation principles, more often
than not being reactive rather than systematic and the
public benefits of maintenance are not sufficiently
evaluated. Here and there however, successful initiatives
such as “Gutterclear”, a maintenance service for places of
worship in the Gloucestershire area, have shown that
unsubsidized service in preventive conservation can be
effective.!
A historical perspective, addressing preventive
conservation traditions in the Arab world was contributed
by Dina Bakhoum (Cairo), with regard to the centuries-old
waqf system, a universal Islamic endowment system that
remained operational in most Islamic countries well into
the 19th century. When a built structure was endowed for
certain social or religious use, maintenance and repair
operations were among the first stipulations of the
endowment, guaranteeing that the benefit of the endowed
property will be continuously pursued. The contributions
of Ne"a !ebron Lipovec (RLICC) and Angus Fowler
(BAUDID Germany) investigated contemporary European
contexts in which initiatives more or less similar to the
Belgian and the Dutch Monumentenwacht have been or are
being developed. N. !ebron focused on the organization
Mámeg in Hungary, the newest Monumentenwacht, a
network of free-lance ‘monumentenwachters’, called
“monument maintaining technicians” in Hungary,
comparing the economic and the legislative contexts, the
motivations and actors that made the appearance and
continuity of these institutions possible. She pointed out
that, like in the Belgian case, also other ‘Monumentenwachts’
started in relation to pre-existing crafts training centres.
These investigations trigger new
perspectives on the principles of
“minimal intervention” and
“ p a r t i c i p at i ve s t e w a rd s h i p o f
heritage” through notions such as
“grass root voluntarism” or “hedonic
pricing.” A. Fowler’s contribution
addressed the German case, namely
the Bauwacht and the Monumentendienst
and the possibilities and challenges
for setting up a federal platform for
preventive conservation, for
generating sustainable markets for
the conservation contractors and for
reconciling long and short term
heritage-related economical interests.!
While the key-note speech of
Webber Ndoro (Africa World
Heritage Fund) pointed to capacity
building as one of the main
challenges for heritage conservation
i n A f r i c a ( we a k i n s t i t u t i o n a l
frameworks, inadequate training, a
low level of infor mation and
awareness and gaps between decision
making and the communities are
typical problems), Rob Pickard’s
(Northumbria University) presented
approaches of the Council of
Europe directed precisely towards
the development of legislation and
administration systems in the field of
cultural heritage (the 2000 and 2009
guidances). The South-Eastern
European experiences of the Council
of Europe, in the framework of the
Te c h n i c a l C o o p e r a t i o n a n d
Consultancy Programme developed
a n d fo l l owe d a m e t h o d o l o g y
consisting in heritage assessment,
prioritized intervention list and
preliminary technical assessment. As
shown by R. Pickard, many of the
Council
of
Europe’s
recommendations and resolutions
h av e b e e n a i m e d a t l i n k i n g
conservation with sustainable
development: the 1966 resolution
encourages individuals to perform
maintenance; the 1985 Granada
Convention for the Protection of
Architectural Heritage refers to
maintenance and mentions the
importance of preventing
dilapidation and of claiming
compensations for deliberate neglect;
the 2005 Faro Convention on the
Value of Cultural Heritage for
Society speaks of maintenance and
not of restoration; the 1997
Recommendation on sustained care
of the cultural heritage against
physical deterioration due to
pollution and similar factors.!
The key-note speech of Prof. Stefano
D e l l a To r r e a s w e l l a s t h e
contributions of Stefania Bossi,
Rosella Moioli and Andrea Canziani, part of a joint research project lead by the
Politecnico di Milano addressed the concept of “planned conservation” as a
contribution to the development of the knowledge economy models, promoting
culture as a new competitive context for the post-industrial society. S. della Torre
stressed the role of the intellectual capital and the importance of “learning and
unlearning”, as equally necessary processes informing planned conservation:
keeping alive what is still alive, but at the same time “unlearning” traditional
crafts that are betraying history. While S. Bossi examined the restoration
company as productive actor in local development, R. Moioli investigated the
opportunity of establishing a
maintenance organization within the
“cultural district” management plan. A.
Canziani introduced the notion of the
“learning-based cultural districts” as
Further information about
potential instruments towards culturepreventive conservation
driven development, so that heritage
b e c o m e s “ a n i n s t r u m e n t fo r a
and the mission of the
sustainable and aware valorization.”
PRECOM3OS network is
Clearly, as pointed out by T. Nypan,
available on-line at
cultural, geographical and socio<http://precomos.org>.
political differences have their influence
on the possibilities of preventive
conservation in different parts of the
world, like for instance the old culture
More detailed information
of maintenance in Belgium and even
such as the key-note
more in the Netherlands, where a large
part of the landscape was created by
presentations and/or
human agency, or the fact that in
papers and invited
Flanders, the monument owners only
speaker’s CV’s as well as
pay 16% of the real maintenance costs,
while in many other countries, the state
the paper and poster
can not even pay for restoration.
abstracts of the three
Possibly the strongest message of the
thematic seminars can be
different talks was the need of engaging
the owner s, the importance of
obtained by registering as
communication training, of always
a network member on the
asking who is actually going to benefit
same web site.
from preventive conservation?!
9
HAPPENINGS
3D Heritage Documentation
Workshop 2009
By Mario Santana, Assistant Professor, RLICC
The ‘3D Heritage recording for Conservation
Workshop’, an initiative by the R. Lemaire
International Centre for Conservation and
English Heritage is a training course designed
for graduate students of conservation to
understand the benefits, constraints and
opportunities that recording tools for
architectural heritage conservation offer.
This year, the training course in its 8th
successful version counted with instructors
from the Getty Conservation Institute (USA),
National Technical University of Athens
(Greece), University College St Lieven
(Belgium), and Public Works and Government
Services (Canada).
The Castle of Arenberg was used as case
study between 12 and 16 January 2009.
Delegates from the RLICC, University
College London, University of Aachen
RWTH, Archaeological department of Liège
(Belgium), Cornell University (USA) and
heritage conservation practitioners
participated.
Further information can be found on: http://
www.sprecomah.eu/heritagedocumentation/
From top to
bottom
Group photo of
workshop
participants
On site practice of
total station
Group work of
students aided by
guest lecturers
©Mario Santana
10
Conference in Belgium: the past, present and future, 2009
By Mario Santana, Assistant Professor, RLICC
The conference on Heritage Documentation in Belgium
was organized in The Royal Library of Brussels on 12
February 2009 as the first event of this kind in Belgium. It
was an initiative of the ICOMOS Scientific Committee
on Heritage Documentation (CIPA).
The event was supported by ICOMOS Brussels-Flanders,
ICOMOS Brussels-Wallonia, Belgian Science Policy,
Ministry of the Walloon Region, the Flemish Institute of
Immovable Heritage, RLICC, and the Ministry of the
French Community’s service of culture and plastic arts.
This event supported attended by more than 230
participants. Stéphane Demeter, president of ICOMOS
Belgium opened the conference, followed by keynotes
from Christian Manhart (UNESCO) and Yves Egels
(French National School of Geography). Furthermore,
lectures about the state-of-the-arts of heritage
documentation techniques were given by renowned
Belgian experts, including Ariana Francourt (Ministry of
the French Community’s service of culture and plastic
arts), Daniel Pletinckx (Visual Dimension), Jacques Debie
(Heritage Division of the Ministry of the Walloon
Region), Rudi Goosens (University of Ghent), Muriel van
Ruymbeke (University of Liège), and Mario Santana
Quintero (RLICC, K.U. Leuven).
The conference
conclusions were collected and presented by Koen Van
Balen (RLICC, K.U. Leuven).
ICOMOS CIPA Heritage Documentation
The proceedings of this conference will be published next
year. More information can be found on: http://
www.sprecomah.eu/cipabe
Top
The CIPA conference
in The Royal Library of
Brussels on 12
February 2009
©Mario Santana
Bottom
The audience
watching animation
through 3D gllasses
©Mario Santana
11
From Museum to Museum Site to M
The re-opening of the new City Museum of Leuven and
the architectural guided tour
By Hsien-yang Tseng, PhD student, RLICC
After three years of construction, the City Museum of
Leuven is going to celebrate its re-opening on 20
September 2009. In the pre-opening programs, Hsienyang Tseng, PhD student of RLICC was invited to give an
architectural guided tour on 15 February 2009 as a part of
Leuven’s annual cultural event Kulturama 2009.
The City Museum of Leuven was first founded in 1920 as
the City Museum Vanderkelen-Mertens on site of the old
Savoy College, through the donation from its owner Victor
Vanderkelen. This building block has extraordinary
importance in the history of the University of Leuven for
Savoy College, its adjacent old Faculty of Arts “Vicus”,
and Saint Yvo College.
After being respectively used as City Museum, City
Library and Academy of Fine Arts in the 20th century, in
2000 the three old college sites were united as the new
“Museum Site” and the museum needed a new building
for its new public functions. An architectural competition
for a new museum building was held in 2004, and the
Flemish architect Stéphane Beel’s design was nominated
and refined in 2005. The construction started on March
2006 and the main structure was nearly completed in the
beginning of 2009. The new City Museum “M for
Museum Leuven” invited groups of citizens to join the
Top right
The guided tour in the
construction site of the
museum
©Hsien-yang Tseng
Top left
The marble
appearance and the
cleaned street wall of
the old Savoy College
©Hsien-yang Tseng
Bottom right
The openings to the
city scape provide a
reflection from the art
works to the city
©Hsien-yang Tseng
Bottom left
The new museum
building and the
classical gate of the
old Faculty of Arts
“Vicus”
©Hsien-yang Tseng
12
guided tours into the construction site as a preview of the
new public cultural space.
With the knowledge from his master thesis over the
university colleges in Leuven, Hsien-yang Tseng guided
one group focusing on the evolution of the site from old
colleges to the present museum site. He interpreted Arch.
Stéphane Beel’s design as a dialogue between the present
and the past, between the historical collection and the
contemporary exhibition, between the arts and the
cityscape, and as an integration of the old college
buildings and the new concrete-marble architecture. The
continuous circulation centering on the inner courtyard
with horizontal and vertical openings provides a rhythm to
inspire the visitors to reflect from the art works to the city,
and from the history to the present day.
On the citizens’ great expectation, M’s official opening is
scheduled on 20 September 2009, highlighting the
exhibition of “Rogier van der Weyden 1400|1464: Master
of Passions” from 20 September 2009 to 6 December
2009. After the evolution for 89 years, M will turn a new
page of Leuven’s cultural life.
For further information of the opening of M and the
exhibition, please check the following website: http://
www.rogiervanderweyden.be/
By Prof. dr. Koenraad Van Balen, Director of RLICC
The Forum Unesco University and Heritage in
Hanoi (Vietnam) from 5 to 10 April 2009 dealt with
the following questions:
Is the ‘Historic Urban Landscape’ a new concept
and can it be set off against the concept of World
Heritage site?
At the Forum the initiatives taken by PRECOMOS
were presented in a paper and in subsequent
discussions. The paper written by RLICC staff and
researchers in collaboration with Monumentenwacht
Vlaanderen was titled “Preventive conservation,
monitoring and maintenance: strategies and tools for
the bottom-up conservation of the physical integrity
of historic urban landscape through empowerment”.
In the discussion related to the topic of the Forum
(Historic Urban Landscapes and more particularly
heritage management of such sites) there was a great
interest for better understanding the cost-benefit of a
maintenance-based conservation approach, which
the large number of populations in urban heritage
sites can profit by.
International Conference 2009 in Hanoi, Vietnam
GLOBE TROTTING
Forum UNESCO: University & Heritage
More information on the conference is available at:
h t t p : / / u n i ve r s i d a dy p at r i m o n i o. n e t / S I F U /
XII_Hanoi_2009/
Preah Vihaer@Cambodia
An expert mission for UNESCO
At the newly listed World Heritage Site
“ Te m p l e o f P re a h Vi h e a r ” ( h t t p : / /
whc.unesco.org/en/list/1224) in Cambodia an
update was made of the management plan
and of the urgent works needing to be carried
out.
An expert mission was organized by UNESCO
allowing the involved experts to visit the
emergency works carried out so far by the
Cambodian authorities. Further urgent
measures were proposed and discussed.
On 2 June 2009 at the occasion of the yearly
meeting of the International Technical
Committee for Angkor in Siem Reap, a
memorandum of understanding was signed
between the National Authorities of
Cambodia for Preah Vihear and the Raymond
Lemaire International Center for
Conservation, K.U. Leuven,
under the
patronage of His Excellency Sok An, Vice
Prime Minister and Minister in charge of the
Ministers council. The different international
and Cambodian experts of the International
Technical Committee for Angkor were present.
Top
Urban pressure on
the Old Quarter of
Hanoi, how to deal
with a living historic
urban landscape.
©Koen Van Balen
Bottom-left
Signature of a
Memorandum of
Understanding
between the
National authority for
Preah Viehar and the
RLICC, K.U.Leuven.
©Koen Van Balen
Bottom-right
Provisional support
is provided to secure
the place for visitors.
©Koen Van Balen
13
GLOBE TROTTING
Top
Aerial view of the
laboratory
complex and the
surroundings
©Skanska/Aix
Stockholm
Middle left
Gunnar Asplund,
Sketch of the
laboratory
©Arkitekturmuseet
Stockholm
Middle right
Old view of the
laboratory building
in 1937
©Arkitekturmuseet
Stockholm
Bottom
Gunnar Asplund,
Perspective of the
laboratory of
bacteriological
analysis in
Stockholm
©Arkitekturmuseet
Stockholm
14
Re-Working the Modern
Study trip and joint workshop in Stockholm
By Prof. dr. Luc Verpoest, Arch. Sara Van Rompaey, RLICC
and Willemijne Linssen, PhD student KUL
In 1937 the Swedish architect Gunnar
Asplund created a laborator y for
bacteriological analysis in the Stockholm
area. An ambitious developer currently
threatens the heritage value of this
modernist building, in the process of
decline. To propose suitable alternatives,
the monument is placed at the heart of
th e concer ns of an inte r national
workshop held for students in
architecture and heritage conservation.
The work of the Swedish architect Erik Gunnar
Asplund (1885-1940) occupies a special place in
20th-century architecture. The perception of his
oeuvre within the historic architectural canon of
Modern Architecture is still questioned, just as
the work of Giuseppe Terragni, Joseph Ple"nik,
Hans Poelzig and Frits P.J. Peutz.
A specific kind of monumentality, the use of
traditional materials and classical forms next to
modern ones, the application of traditional
typologies which are spatially modernized, the
attention for the topography and the ‘genius
loci’, the nature of a specific place: all elements
which appeared in the late twenties – after the
avant-garde – in Le Corbusier’s design and
which will determine his work, including
Ronchamp and Chandighar. It has nothing to do
with the anti-modern monumentality and the
reactionary traditionalism, present in the thirties.
In 1943 Siegfried Giedion, Fernand Leger and
Jose Luis Sert formulated their ‘Nine Points on
Monumentality’. How to transfer this liberating
theory of Modern Architecture in an actual
relevant building practice? The high degree of
abstraction of modern ideas and prototypes (La
Maison Citrohan or La Ville Radieuse) had to be
transferred into an architecture which offered a
solution for concrete needs, or anyhow to be
capable of “authentically representing the hopes and desires of
people” (Kenneth Frampton). This could be reached by overruling the
modernist break with the history and the tradition, by reassessing the past as
useful within modernity, by re-establishing the historic continuity through
actualisation, contemporary reworking. Similarly with the ‘modernisation
within practice’, modern conservation was developed, from the Charter of
Athens (1931) to the Charter of Venice (1964). “Mes idées révolutionnaires
sont dans l’histoire, à toute époque et en tous pays,” Le Corbusier wrote in
1929.
Precisely this revolutionary aspect was foreign to Asplund, although in his
architecture one notices the fruitful tension between modernity and tradition,
history and present, of great importance in his work. In the twenties Asplund
became renowned with constructions in the spirit of ‘Scandinavian nationalromanticism’. He did not avoid elements coming from the classic tradition and
the local architecture: the Public Library of Stockholm (1920-1928), the
Skogkapellet (1918-1920) and the crematorium of Skogskyrkogården
(1933-1940) close to Stockholm, constructed by Asplund and Sigurd
Lewerentz (1885-1975). In the meantime he got to know the European avantgarde and he implemented it successfully in Scandinavia on the Stockholmexhibition dating from 1930. Nevertheless he quickly left the doctrinal, radical
modernism for a more creative synthesis of modernity and tradition – just as
Alvar Aalto did.!
In 1933 the Swedish state asked him to design the Bacteriological Laboratory,
finished in 1937. It was meant to become a top institute for bacteriological
research and vaccination development, and as such it had to respond to an
advanced program. In the meantime, however, good working conditions were
aspired to. This is exactly what Asplund’s architecture! brilliantly achieved by
shaping traditional architecture elements in a modernised form or vice versa,
using known materials and new construction and equipment techniques, and a
tight functionality which combines extremely well with the care for pleasant
spatiality. Topography and landscape are approached as starting points,
resulting in an organic adaptation of the building in its environment. The
main building is situated on the site’s highest spot and extensions are grouped
around half-open patios. An open, sloping, green space is located in front of
the complex, with stables for laboratory animals positioned as parallel
pavilions at the sides. The entrances (mainly the entrance of the central
building), the positioningof the windows, the exterior brickwork – executed in
a remarkable free bond – and the wooden carpentry, all are treated with care.
These façade components enable a fascinating integration of tight, clean
laboratory interiors within the naturalness of the environment. At first sight
Top
During the
international workshop
in April 2009, students
in architecture and
heritage conservation
were together
searching for solutions
of future development
of the laboratory
©Ingrid Cotrina Araujo
Middle
Interior of the Public
Library of Stockholm,
another architectural
work of Apslund
©Sara Van Rompaey
Bottom 3 images
In 1933, Asplund
designed a modern
building for the
scientific research
©Arkitekturmuseéts
Asplundsamlingar
15
the organic volumetry of the site does not seem to be
compatible with the clear space of the main building’s
central hall – until one notices that the hall’s plan is not
straight but trapezoidal.
It was appropriate to legally protect both the building and
its surrounding landscape as a monument. The complex,
however, is mostly abandoned, forming a threat for its
preservation. Especially threatening is the pressure of the
municipality of Solna which ambitions to become a
valuable satellite-city of Stockholm and therefore plans a
dense development of the site. Consequently, the original
perimeter of the protected area was reduced significantly
to create a larger building zone, which is more interesting
for the building contractor Skanska. How to integrate
significant heritage in a larger environment which will
inevitably change, without harming the heritage value?
The building requires enough space to breathe, to survive
usefully as significant architecture and urbanism, which in
itself is valuable. This is not guaranteed by the project
presented by Skanska and architecture office Aix.
In short, a perfect – but extremely difficult – subject to
present to architecture and conservation students. An
international workshop of two weeks, called ‘Re-working
the modern’ was therefore organized with architecture
students of Stockholm, Copenhagen, Tallinn, Frankfurt
am Main and Spittal an der Drau, and conservation
students of the Raymond Lemaire International Centre
for Conservation in Leuven. In December 2008 the group
had undertaken a preparatory study trip to Berlin,
including a visit to the successful restoration and
revalorisation of Hannes Meyer’s ADGB Bundesschule
(1928-1930). This building, one of the icons of the late
Bauhaus and the Neue Sachlichkeit, shows similarities with
Asplund’s laboratory.
Almost naturally, architecture students will seek for a place
to extent construction or to introduce transformation,
without paying a lot of attention to the existing structure –
in this case a monument. How to keep a building (through
During the workshop
on site, all photos by
Sara Van Rompaey,
all plans © RLICC
Top right
Break in the
courtyard
Middle
Student site visit
Bottom left
Group work
Bottom right
Professor’s meeting
16
conservation) which also contributes to the quality of the
built environment (through restoration as re-integration)
they can learn from the conservation students. How to see
this in an architectural and urban context, the latter can
learn from architecture students. Without any doubt, it is
valuable to bring together both groups in this workshop.
The splendid Asplund architecture can only improve this
mutual education.
Everybody was quite easily convinced of the laboratory’s
exceptional characteristics. Rather easily, also, it became
clear that the Skanska/Aix project was problematical, as it
threatened to overwhelm the Asplund complex due to too
strong contrast with the new developments. The fourteen
days of intensive workshop resulted in a convincing plea
for maximal preservation and concrete revalorisation of
the laboratory. Therefore also for a thorough revision of
the Skanska/Aix plan. The metropolitan morphology,
density and scale of the Skanska project were refused. The
original protection perimeter was re-established and even
extended, with the possibility to construct in the boundary
area, albeit in a different way. The students of group 8
started from the pavilion’s morphology and the building’s typology with
courtyard as urban basis. The Asplund buildings “infected the
surroundings with the Asplund disease” in the proposal of Group 6, or
to put it in a more positive manner, the Asplund vaccine was prescribed
against bad architecture and urbanism. Obviously, different reuse
proposals were developed, of great value for the reintegration within the
development of the area.
Asplund himself set the example in dealing with historic and
architecturally significant architecture. He himself showed how the
contemporary could contribute meaning and significance to the built
environment in development. For instance, the extension of the classical
courtyard in Gothenburg, designed from 1912 and executed in 1937, is
a rather early key work in modern conservation and at the same time a
valuable example of Modern Architecture.
Workshop details
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT WORKSHOP
April 17 – May 1 2009
State Bacteriological Laboratories
(1937 Arch. Erik Gunnar ASPLUND)
INTENSIVE PROGRAMME European Community
“Techniques to preserve modern movement monuments”
Education and Culture Socrates programme 2006-2009 / Erasmus 1
Participants:
- Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation, K.U.
Leuven (Belgium)
- University of Applied Sciences Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
- The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture
(Denmark)
- Estonian Academy of Arts, Tallinn (Estonia)
- Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Kärnten (Austria)
- Royal Institute of Technology, KTH School of Architecture,
Stockholm (Sweden)
* This article is a revised version of the article published in the Belgian
architectural magazine A+ (A+ 218, June-July 2009)
Top
Original plan of the
site in 1937
©Arkitekturmuseet
Stockholm
Middle
Students in group 6
have their project
entitled 'Infection of
the area (Rostyslav
Bortnyk, Barbara
Joseph, Andreas
Kahle, Kadi Karine
Karin Rudnert)
Bottom 3 images
Group 8 designs an
architectural
framework where
various functions are
placed (Jacqueline
de Graauw, Sören
Johansen, Catherine
Metz, Stina Sarapuu,
Merel van den Berg)
17
A+ Partner
By Arch. Sara Van Rompaey, RLICC
As pointed out in many conversations between Andrea Bruno, Paul
Lievevrouw and Koen Van Balen, there is currently a pressing need to
introduce and to promote not only the RLICC but also the debate about
Heritage Conservation and Architecture to a wider audience. A
partnership was proposed with the bilingual Belgian periodical A+, a
critical magazine for architecture, urban planning and design, with a
circulation of 14.000 copies. After a series of preparatory meetings with
the editorial team of A+ and its chief-editor Stefan Devoldere, this plan
finally came to fruition with a set of articles published in the A+ issues 217
and 218. The main idea is indeed to publish a general issue with major
introductory articles (A+217), followed by a series of shorter articles in the
following issues (starting with A+218).
A+PARTNER RLICC, from “Re-working the modern”
by Luc Verpoest, A+218 June-July 2009, p76
The first A+ issue 217, with the title “Heritage and Conservation”, is conceived as a general introduction to the actual
debate of Heritage Conservation and architecture. Special mention may be made of “The Sacred Island”, an article by
Alumnae Paula Cordeiro and Sarah Moutury about the Brussels ‘Grand Place’, and of “Monument as Architecture”. In this
critical essay Prof. Luc Verpoest discusses heritage conservation from the perspective of daily architectural practice. In the
following issue A+ 218, the author reports on the Asplund student workshop in Stockholm (“Reworking the Modern”).
In the next A+ issues articles will be published about current student activities, as well as specific issues of professional
know-how. Currently, the following titles are in preparation: “Conservation methodology and master plan”, by Barbara Van
der Wee; “Heritage documentation: survey, laser scanning”, by Mario Santana; “World heritage, Unesco preventive
conservation”, by Koen Van Balen.
This activity is financially supported by the Alumni Fund.
EUROMED Heritage IV: Mutual Heritage
2008-2012
1st mutual heritage training course, Fez (Morocco): architectural and
urban heritage, sustainable development, social awareness
By Prof. dr. Luc Verpoest, RLICC and Prof. dr. Daniele Pini, University of Ferrara and RLICC
From 18 to 22 June 2009 Daniele Pini (University of
Ferrara, Italy and RLICC, K.U. Leuven) and Luc
Verpoest (RLICC, K.U.Leuven and Monumentenwacht
Vlaanderen) have been engaged in the 1st Mutual
Heritage Training Course in Fez, Morocco. The Mutual
Heritage project is co-funded by the European Union
(EUROMED HERITAGE IV) and focuses on 19th- and
20th-century architecture in the Mediterranean area
which resulted from the mutual interaction of different
cultures. “Due to its recent and often imported and
imposed origin, this heritage is an underestimated asset for
development, any approach must start by promoting
processes of awareness and appropriation of such specific
heritage” (from the Mutual Heritage Statement). Project
partners are: CITERES / Centre Interdisciplinaire Cités,
Territoires, Environnement et Sociétés (Université de
Tours, France), Casamémoire (Casablanca, Morocco),
ENA / Ecole Nationale d’ Architecture (Rabat, Morocco),
ASM / Association de la Sauvegarde de la Medina (Tunis,
Tunisia), Riwaq (Palestian Terriotories), Heriscape and
OIKOS (Italy), Patrimoines Partagés (France). The Fez
training session was the first in a series of 9 and has been
dealing with the mutual inheritance identification and
documentation, practices for sustainable development and
strategies to ensure local populations as partners in the
18
conservation of cultural heritage. A group of professionals
and institutionals from the educational and tourism sectors
and from public authorities (local and national) in
Morocco and from Italy, France, Palestine and Tunisia
attended lectures and took part in seminars and field work.
The results will be published.
Street view with 20th-century architecture in Fez, Morocco
©Luc Verpoest
Teaching on site in Brussels, capital of Art Nouveau
By Prof. Barbara Van der Wee and Prof. dr. Luc Verpoest, RLICC
Barbara Van der Wee and Luc Verpoest (RLICC, K.U.
Leuven) organized, on behalf of the Faculty of
Engineering of the K.U. Leuven, the 2009 Spring
ATHENS Course on Art Nouveau. ATHENS stands for
the Advanced Technology Higher Education Network of
15 European engineering faculties and technology
universities in Budapest, Istanbul, Delft, Lisbon, Madrid,
Milan, Munich, Prague, Thessaloniki, Trondheim, Vienna,
Warsaw, Paris, Louvain-la-Neuve and Leuven; it was
originally funded by the European Communities Socrates
Programme. The Art Nouveau course offered lectures by
Barbara Van der Wee (on Victor Horta and the restoration
of his work) and Luc Verpoest (on “the 19th-century
architecture of the engineers”), and on several aspects of
Belgian Art Nouveau architecture by invited specialists
such as Jos Vandenbreeden, Françoise Aubry, Francis
Strauven and Anne Van Loo. Included also were visits to
the 19th-century steel and iron Serres Royales (by
Alphonse Balat) and major Art Nouveau buildings in
Brussels by Victor Horta. Barbara Van der Wee explained
on site her recent restoration projects for the Van Eetvelde
house, for Horta’s own houses and atelier and for the
Kindergarten in the rue Saint-Ghislain in Brussels.
ATHENS Art Nouveau
World Heritage City Preservation Management
A project of collaboration between
Flanders and the University of Cuenca
The VLIR-UOS project on World Heritage City
Preservation Management (WHCPM), collaboration
between RLICC and the University of Cuenca, has started
its third year in April 2009 and is at full speed.
A large delegation of the team members of Cuenca,
including the Rector of their University have participated
in the seminar held on the occasion of the inauguration of
the Unesco Chair (see page 5). They presented some of the
ongoing research carried out in the project.
Joint research on the delimited zone in the World Heritage
City of Cuenca has resulted in a critical analysis of past
and present inventories and their use. A system of
evaluation of heritage values based on the “Nara Grid”
has been adapted to the specific needs of the project.
These are two examples of research results achieved so far.
Architects Maria Cecila Achig and Maria Soledad
Moscoso from Cuenca joint the first-year programme in
Leuven. Architect Veronica Heras is carrying out field
research work at Cuenca for her 2nd year’s master thesis,
to be presented in September 2009. In October she will
start her PhD research on the development of a GIS
system for heritage documentation and monitoring at
RLICC and at the University of Cuenca.
Sam De Jongh and Matthias Van Wijnendaele, two civil
engineering students from K.U. Leuven have had the
possibility to carry out field research in Cuenca during
three months in the summer of 2008. They each made a
master thesis on earthquakes and other damaging
mechanisms to earth structures in Cuenca., which includes
a damage atlas of damage patterns found in (mainly)
earthen building materials in historical Cuenca. They
received a travel grant from VLIR-UOS to support their
field work. This research is of great use for the WHCPM
project.
Bottom
Sam De Jongh and
Matthias Van
Wijnendaele testing
the samples of adobe
in the Reyntjens
Laboratory at
K.U.Leuven with the
help of Özlem Cizer.
©Koen Van Balen
19
PROJECT WORLD
Integrated Project Work III
Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Koorts chapel, Leuven
By Cecilia Achig (architect, Ecuador), Liesbeth Lacroix (architect, Belgium) and Karolien
Vanwing (archaeologist, Belgium), first-year students
The baroque chapel of Our-Lady-of-the-Fevers is
located on the corner of the Vlamingenstraat and the
Frederik Lintstraat in the city centre of Leuven.
The actual chapel, in use since 1705 and definitively
finished in 1732, had two smaller predecessors. The
first, tiny one was built after 1541 because of a
miraculous event. Veneration increased, a fraternity
was founded and annual processions with the statue
of Our Lady took place. As a consequence, funds
were raised and land was bought in order to build a
larger chapel in 1602. After a long history as a
pilgrimage place, the chapel was put up for sale
during the French occupation and in the first half of
the 19th century it was used as a parish church.
When the new church of Saint-Joseph took over this
function, the chapel was sold in 1865 to the
Franciscans, who built their convent next to it.
Nowadays the complex is used by KADOC, the
Catholic Documentation Centre of the K.U.
Leuven, who bought it in 1986.
The group members. Left to right: Cecilia Achig, Liesbeth
Lacroix and Karolien Vanwing ©Ingrid Cotrina Araujo
Conclusions Urban Analysis
Leuven is an attractive city thanks to its
combination of qualities belonging to small and to
large cities respectively. On the one hand, Leuven is
a neatly arranged and safe city for its inhabitants
and on the other hand, the city promotes many
educational, cultural and commercial activities.
Therefore, Leuven offers the advantages of a
metropolitan aerea without the typical problems of
a large city.
In the analysis of the surroundings of the chapel, it
was shown that the church used to stand in a green,
open field between the first (late 12th-century) and
second (late 14th-century) city walls. Nowadays, the
building is located in between building blocks at the
corner of the Vlamingenstraat and Frederik
Lintstraat. From the sections of these streets, one
can conclude that they are in a bad state. The
sidewalks are too narrow and too many cars are
parked along them, which does not make for a nice
place to walk or pass by. The large section, which
The chapel and convent, Nov. 2008 ©Technical Services, KUL
includes the park, demonstrates that the view from
the park on the chapel is miserable.
As a result, the chapel is not visible enough in the
city landscape and it has lost its link with the green
surroundings. People are passing by without
noticing this special monument.
Conclusions Historical and Architectural
Analysis
From the historical analysis, it was demonstrated
that the chapel of Our-Lady-of-the-Fevers has an
interesting history during which it was used for
different functions. First of all it came into being as
a pilgrimage church. For a short time it fulfilled the
role of parish church, after which it became part of
the convent of the Franciscans.
Left
The chapel
and its urban
context
http://
www.bing.com
/maps
Right
Façade of the
chapel, March
2009 ©Mario
Santana
All other
documents
© RLICC and
students
!
20
From the architectural analysis one can conclude that this
church is very exceptional, even with the discussion about
if the identity of the architect still seems uncertain,
because only a few centrally-planned churches, dating
from that period, with central ground plan in Belgium
existsurvive in Belgium. By knowing this, it is very
important to make this building more visible within the
city landscape and moreover, to make it open again in
order to let the visitors enjoy its beauty.
3D model of the current situation (modelled by Liesbeth Lacroix)
Today KADOC uses this convent as their office space and
the once so visited chapel, once so frequently visited, is
stands most of the time empty most of the time. The link
with its original use is totally lost in time, the statue is
replaced and it is no longer a pilgrimage place. Together
with this, also the link with the convent dissappeared
because no strong relation between the function of
KADOC and the one of the chapel, which is sometimes
used for concerts or theatre plays, exists.
Project Proposal
The different analyses in this study, including our the
investigation of the re-use of churches, and the value
assesment all point to the conclusion that an intercultural
meeting centre could be a good project for the Baroque
chapel in the Vlamingenstraat. As already mentioned, this
function fits in with the needs of the city, the quality of the
space and moreover, the architectural and historical values.
In order to make this project work properly, a number of
adjustments have to be implemented. First of all, special
attention has to be given to the surrounding streets. It has
to become a nice environment for the pedestrians and the
view towards the exceptional chapel needs to be
emphasized. Solutions are given by making wider
sidewalks, diminishing the traffic and car parking, and
creating a nice view from the park towards the chapel by
lowering the houses in between them.
Concerning the complex itself, certain modern
interventions are proposed in order to adapt it to its new
function – always taking care of the chapel,. At the
entrance, a new, transparent building of limited height
could be placed in order to create more functional space.
Together with this, the original entrance of KADOC
could be removed and made more visible and attractive
towards the public. The interventions in the chapel itself
3D model of the project proposal (modelled by Liesbeth Lacroix)
have to be as minimalist as possible; therefore we suggest
only movable objects and structures inside. Taking out the
wall between the chapel and the choir creates more space
and light, and moreover, a beautiful view towards the
garden. While making the building more transparent, a
visual axis connecting the green space of the park, the
entrance and the garden of the convent is created. As a
consequence, the link between the chapel and the green
surroundings is defined anew.
Finally, the last intervention is the demolishing of one
corridor of the convent in order to obtain a nice view on
the shape of the chapel, which is so exceptional, at this side
of the complex. As a result, a marvellous exhibition area
for KADOC could be created.
By taking all these interventions into account, the complex
will be part of a sustainable and successful project, and at
the same time it will become an added value for Leuven.
Moreover, by making the chapel accessible to the public, its
beauty will not get lost in eternity.
Right
Proposed site
plan
Top left
Design
simulation:
visual link
between the
chapel and the
garden
Bottom left
Design
simulation:
interior of the
chapel
modelled by
Liesbeth
Lacroix
21
PROJECT WORLD
Casino of Knokke
By Ingrid Cotrina Araujo (architect, Belgium), Marieke De Baerdemaeker (historian, Belgium)
and Barbara Joseph (architect, Belgium), first-year students
The casino of Knokke, after a design by the
Belgian architect Léon Stynen (1899-1990), was
built in 1930. It has a very particular history. First
of all the casino has always been strongly linked to
the specific context of Knokke. In the 1920s
Knokke was established as an exclusive seaside
resort. This exclusive character is nowadays still
present. Secondly, the building has been
transformed several times over the past eighty
years. Due to these transformations the original
design is not recognizable anymore.
The main part of our study consisted of a
profound analysis of the building on different
levels. First we studied the building in relation to
its surroundings and how it interacts with its
specific context. The second focal point was the
history of the building. Based on archival research
we determined the different building phases and
their importance. The third part of our study
consisted of a detailed study of the materials and
structure over time. In the last part of our analysis
we investigated the social history of the casino.
This analysis led us to the conclusion that a lot of
the original casino is still present in the actual
building. The building has been severely
transformed, but not structurally changed. The
evolution of the functions over time shows a bigger
change. Whereas the building used to serve as
social meeting place in Knokke, it has nowadays
become an anonymous place where gambling is
the main activity. This evolution is clearly visible in
the later architectural additions.
The group members. Left to right: Ingrid Cotrina Araujo, Barbara
Joseph and Marieke De Baerdemaeker ©Cecilia Achig
!
Current view of the Casino in 2009 ©Ingrid Cotrina Araujo
Top 2 images
The Casino in
1930
©Beeldbank
Sincfala
Bottom 2
images
!
The interior of
the Casino in
2009 ©Ingrid
Cotrina Araujo
All other
documents
© RLICC and
students
!
22
!
Ground level of the casino. Left: current circulation. Right: circulation in the future proposal
It is important to mention that in 2004 an international
competition for a new iconic casino was held. Steven Holl
won the competition with his design of a ‘Hybrid Sail’ on
top of the old casino. Because of the threat implied in this
intervention, we think it is very important to start the debate
on the strained relation between iconic architecture and
heritage.
Urban problems
Section of the master plan, from Canada Square to the sea
Intervention plan
Based on the conclusions of this analysis we
made a general evaluation of the building.
This was the starting point for a general
master plan. In this master plan we defined
some operational guidelines for further urban
development and the future restoration of
the building. Our master plan includes a new
listing proposal for the building. The analysis
and conclusions showed that a partial listing
only is insufficient. For the restoration we
established some guiding principles that have
to be taken into account. First of all, the
restoration has to be carried out according to
the principles of Stynen’s original design: a
clear plan determined by a north-south axis,
the architectural integration of varied
functions, the penetration of daylight and the
openness towards the surroundings. These
guidelines may serve as the basis for a new
intervention plan. As for the functions,
diversification should be made possible.
However, they all have to be integrated in a
general management plan for the building,
which would assure the preservation of the
building’s integrity.
Top
Section, 1930
Middle
Section, 2009
Bottom
Section, potential
future with the new
iconic casino
23
PROJECT WORLD
The Parsonage of Wezemaal
By Tom Coenegrachts (archaeologist, Belgium), Jacqueline de Graauw (architect, The
Netherlands) and Maria Soledad Moscoso Cordero (architect, Ecuador), first-year students
Anno 1622, during the Eighty Years’ War
(1568-1648), Croatian mercenaries burned down
the parsonage site of Wezemaal and plundered the
village. Two years later, in 1624 the Abbot of
Averbode, Matthijs Valentijns and parson Antonius
Leysens joined forces to construct a new one. In
only seven months mason Frans Lemmens and
carpenter Jan Wouters were able to finish the work.
The new parsonage constituted a physical denial of
the harsh war period, showing a recovered
Catholic Church. Nevertheless moat and
drawbridge showed the need for at least a feeling
of safety but also a strong wish to connect with
noble typology. Together with its adjacent
constructions, gardens and surroundings, the
parsonage formed an entity which tried to be selfsupporting, as is best seen in the “Kaartboek van de
Abdij van Averbode”.
The group members. Left to right: Jacqueline de Graauw, Tom
Coenegrachts and Maria Soledad Moscoso Cordero
©Sara Van Rompaey
Anno 2008, instead of Croatian warriors a Belgian
archaeologist, a Dutch architect and an
Ecuadorian architect ‘attacked’ the moated site.
This time though, the assault was done in a more
peaceful spirit as they analysed the building
without destroying it. In their brave quest to gain
more infor mation on ‘the parsonage of
Wezemaal’, they travelled to Averbode and much
farther. From the surveys and analysis of the
history of Wezemaal, today’s urban situation, the
archaeological traces of the parsonage site, the
architecture and the technical condition of the
building a master plan emerged. This master plan
was developed mainly using value assessments and
the Macro-Meso-Micro scheme which resulted in a
conservation plan for the site as a whole. Backed
by all these researches and the economical analysis
a clear idea for a project emerged. The parsonage,
if not used as a parsonage anymore, could be
successfully turned into an Ecological Inn.
a community of farmers. At the end of the 12th
century Wezemaal became a polity with a proper
landlord, who got its fief from the Duke of
Brabant. These landlords gave the rights of the
church to the Norbertine Abbey of Averbode in
1232, establishing a bond that lasts till today. In
Late Medieval times Wezemaal became a popular
pilgrimage place of saint Job and thrived well by it.
The end of the 15th century saw the destruction of
church and castle by soldiers of Maximilian I of
Austria, but this damage was minor compared to
the destructions during the Eighty Years’ War
(1568-1648). The 17th and 18th century brought
more war troubles and eventually the French
occupation (1795-1815), which meant the end of
the Ancien Régime and a total refurbishment of
society. Wezemaal became a community led only
by ‘democratically’ chosen dignitaries and stayed
independent until it merged with Rotselaar and
Werchter in 1975.
1.!Analysis
1.2 Urban Analysis
1.1!Historical Evolution of Wezemaal
Dominating the village are the so called
getuigenheuvels, petrified sands banks of the Diestian
sea which retreated some 5 to 2,5 million years
ago. The ferruginous sandstone, extracted from
Originating in the early Middle Ages, the village
grew around the parish church of Saint Martin as
Left
Parsonage of
Wezemaal seen from
the north
Right
Map of Wezemaal in
1659 (Kaartboek van
Averbode)
© Algemeen
Rijksarchief, Brussels
All other documents
© RLICC and
students
!
24
!
1.3 Catholic Background
As familiarity with religious (Catholic) vocabulary
decreases in today society, certain terms needed to be
explained in order to be able to understand the texts about
the parsonage.
The parsonage of Wezemaal was (one of) the first one(s) in
a long family tree of rebuilt parsonages of the Abbey of
Averbode. Most of the later ones have a standard lay-out
with a symmetrically placed central hallway and rooms on
both sides. Wezemaal does not conform completely with
this standard lay-out, possibly because it was built earlier.
Brick pattern symbolism, as found on the eastern façade
and the gate tower, stays a mystery. Regarding the actual
use it became clear that the buildings are under-used,
mainly serving for storage.
1.6! Technical Analysis
The technical analysis zoomed in on the different
materials used in the façades as well as the actual
conditions and damages of the building. Big problems
were identified in the west façade and the cellar. Humidity
in the form of rising damp constitutes a serious problem as
it causes powdering of the bricks together with possible
salts. Also the ferruginous sandstone base suffers from
humidity and possibly salts.
these hills, was locally used in construction works mainly
from medieval times onwards until the 19th century. While
the tops of these hills are densely wooded, the flanks were
used for viticulture in the Middle Ages, the 19th century
and today as it was re-established in the 1980s. Wezemaal
is one of the nuclei bordering the important road from
Leuven to Aarschot (N19). The village is cut by the
highway A2/E314 and the N19, bordered on one side by
the railway. These infrastructures, however, provide
excellent connections to the neighbouring cities, Brussels
and the rest of the country. Wezemaal is surrounded by
green agricultural and natural landscapes, which only
penetrate the centre of the village at the parsonage site
and the church. With its green surroundings directly linked
to habitat guideline area Kloosterbroek and its water
structure the parsonage is a green island in the village.
Because of its surroundings and good community feeling
Wezemaal is a nice village to live in, although its stays
mainly a sleeping town which lacks certain basic functions.
1.4! Historical Analysis: The Parsonage
This part zoomed in on the history of the parsonage site
itself, mainly from 1624 onwards when the present-day
parsonage was built, as has been confirmed by many
archival sources. Special attention was given to the garden
which underwent important changes. During most of its
evolution it was a self-productive entity with vegetable
gardens and orchards, only to be lost in the second part of
the 20th century. The buildings on the site were altered
during their long history. By analysing written sources and
the façades the main stages of alteration could be
detected. The main interventions were several additions at
the west side of the building and window changes in every
façade.
1.5 !Architectural Analysis
!
Top right
Building
archaeology.
The 1879
alterations.
Bottom left
Conservation
project: The
ecological inn
on site level.
Bottom
right
Urban
analysis on
village scale
!
25
back some bushes and trees for their survival, pulling down
the ruinous sheds and eliminating trees that harm the
building in one way ore another. The moat has to be
cleared and as a precondition for the rest urgent
measurements should be taken in the village by the
community to minimise the severe noise pollution from the
highway. To create a stronger entity and to protect the
building against further deterioration, the north, south and
west façades have to be lime washed. For archaeological
and aesthetical reasons the east façade with the brick
symbols is not treated in this manner.
2.!Master plan
2.1 !Value Assessments
From the Macro-Meso-Micro scheme, in which the site
and surroundings were valued in connection with each
other, we derived some major concepts: Firstly the
parsonage as a green and spiritual island in the midst of
the village. Open to the world, the Norbertines served the
village for centuries and thus the parsonage had a major
social role in the heart of village life, which has to be kept.
Garden and buildings formed a strong entity that tried to
be self-supporting, a quality which the authors identified as
one of the main monumental values of the site.
3. Conservation Project: Ecological Inn
3.1! Economical Analysis
2.2 !Conservation Plan
Several possible functions were compared in the
economical analysis. The best function for the building
remains the use as a parsonage, since no major alterations
would have to be carried out, and infrastructure could stay
the same. If the function of a parsonage would be lost for
the building, the best way of preserving the site would be
the Ecological Inn, which achieved almost the same score
in the evaluation as the Parsonage.
In the conservation plan some urgent maintenance
guidelines were set in order to conserve the site in the best
way possible. For the garden they mainly consist of cutting
3.2! The Ecological Inn
As an inn, the parsonage would function as a simple bed
and breakfast including a dormitory which could serve
somewhat larger groups. The monumental setting in its
green surroundings will create a very charming
atmosphere, even strengthened by the historical interior. In
addition the parsonage would function as a small simple
cosy restaurant open to everyone, guests, tourists and the
villagers themselves. Thus the building could keep and
even strengthen its social function within the village.
!
The new facilities for the use as an Ecological Inn will be
placed in a new addition at the west facade, where there
has always been an annexe. This way the monumental
building itself does not need to undergo many alterations.
!
The ecological side of the story has to be sought in the
garden. To give back the full historical richness to the
complex, the production of fruits, vegetables and derived
products has to be reinstated. This would confer upon the
inn the unique character this monumental entity once
possessed; i.e. its independence. The inn’s own products
would be used in the kitchen to prepare regional
specialities, in order to enhance the specific character of
the place, all this fitting into the concept of ecology and
sustainability. And why not give the guests the opportunity
to be involved in the kitchen or the garden to make a stay
at the parsonage a unique experience?
The home-grown food products that are not used in the
kitchen can be sold in a little shop, where other local
products could also be on offer. Not only tourists but also
villagers would benefit from a shop in the village.
!
From top to bottom
Conservation project: plans of the attic, first floor and ground level
26
With its simplicity and specific character, the ecological inn
would focus on sustainable/ecological tourism such as
biking and walking. Wezemaal is identified by the
community of Rotselaar as one of the hotspots in a wide
re-creative bicycle network. The ecological inn would fit
perfectly into the policies of the community. With these
new facilities for both tourists and villagers, the parsonage
could be transformed into a lively centre for Wezemaal.
Master thesis by Bie Plevoets (interior architect, Belgium)
Promoter: Prof. dr. Luc Verpoest
Co-Promoter: Prof. dr. Koenraad Van Cleempoel (UHasselt – PHL University College)
It is a recent phenomenon in historic city centres
that historic buildings are reused for retail
functions. But since many different parties with
diverging interests are involved in a retail-reuse
project – monument boards, conservators,
restorers, retail designers, retailers, etc. – it is not
evident to obtain a qualitative result. Until know,
research of this subject is very limited, either from
the viewpoint of conservation or the retailers’.
Therefore, this master thesis aims to make a first
move towards the theoretical analysis of retailreuse as a contemporary phenomenon in historic
city centres in Europe. In a first stage of the
research, two research questions are formulated:
Which type of buildings can be suitable for retailreuse? And how can the retail design respect the
historic value of the monument?
Apart from a study of English Heritage and
Eng lish His toric Town Forum, relevant
publications are scarce. Because of this, general
literature about reuse of buildings has been
studied. To apply this literature to the specific
phenomenon of retail-reuse, we developed a
classification scheme which indicates the building
types suitable for retail-reuse.
On the other hand, many examples of single shops
and shopping centres located in historic buildings
exist in practice. As a result, case studies are most
representative for the state-of-the-art. The second
part of the research focuses on three carefully
selected case studies: Selexyz Dominicanen in
Maastricht (NL), Selexyz Verwijs (NL) in The
Hague and Hema in Tongeren (BE). Each case
study is analysed based on literature, archival
research, observation and interviews with different
stakeholders involved in the project. Next the cases
are evaluated on three different levels. Firstly, the
case study is checked against the general
conclusions from the literature study. Secondly, an
assessment of the specific values of the monument
is made to check if the contemporary reuse project
respected those values. Thirdly the after-life of the
monument in terms of contemporary application
of the retail design and the use of the shop, are
analysed.
Which type of buildings can be suitable for retail-reuse?
And how can retail design respect the historic value of the monument?
THESIS GALLERY
Retail-Reuse of Historic Buildings
As a conclusion, nine guidelines for retail-reuse
projects have been formulated. On the one hand,
these guidelines could help retail designers in
dealing with the complexity of the design of a store
within a monumental building, on the other hand
the guidelines could be applied by monument
boards to evaluate retail-reuse projects.
Conservators currently exercise restraint towards
allowing retail activities in monumental buildings.
By providing a framework for evaluation, a more
open attitude towards retail as new use for historic
buildings could be possible.
Left
Interior of Selexyz
Verwijs, Den Haag
©Roos Aldershoff
Right
Interior of Selexyz
Dominicanen,
Maastricht
©Roos Aldershoff
27
THESIS GALLERY
The Effect of Timber Ties
on the seismic behavior of historic masonry structures[1]
Master thesis by Anna Skoura (civil engineer, Greece)
Promoter: Prof. Elisavet Vintzileou (National Technical University of Athens)
Co-promoter: Prof. dr. Luc Schueremans (Department of Civil Engineering, K.U. Leuven)
Vernacular buildings demonstrate the way that
previous generations confronted problems such as
scarcity of materials or earthquake threat by
employing traditional techniques. Most of these
techniques have been forgotten and abandoned in
contemporary constructions. The use of timber
reinforced masonry has been a very common
practice in the world’s seism-prone areas. Due to the
masonry’s anisotropic and brittle nature, the timber
elements with their high tensile strength are
introduced to upgrade the structure’s seismic
resistance. The structural system of timber ties
present in numerous historical buildings of
vernacular architecture in Greece, dating from the
middle Byzantine period on (Fig. 1), is believed to
play a significant role in the improvement of those
buildings’ seismic behaviour [2]. As numerous
historic masonry buildings with timber ties still exist
in a non-ruined state, they could be restored and
eventually reused. Assessment of their current
bearing capacity and evaluation of available
intervention techniques are therefore needed; this is
the subject of this thesis.
Numerical and experimental data regarding the
structural behaviour of masonry buildings with
timber ties are scarce in literature; therefore
simplified analysis was employed in the present
study to provide basic information regarding their
behaviour. Preliminary elastic analyses performed
on simple box-like structures (Fig.2) subjected to
both self-weight and statically imposed seismic
action, have demonstrated that the presence of
timber ties leads to moderately reduced
deformations, shear-forces and out-of-plane bending
moments (Fig.3 & Fig.4).
A comparison, according to Eurocode[3], between
the magnitude of calculated stresses and the
masonry elements’ strength, in the form of safety
factors, followed. This comparison demonstrated a
substantial increase in safety of timber reinforced
buildings to seismic events. Eurocode[4] was also
employed to verify the timber connections’
resistance. A comparison was made between
different types of connections among the ties’ length
(Fig.5); lap joints proved to have the best resistance.
Comprehending the structural behaviour and
identifying the main weaknesses of this building type
inevitably leads to a need for detecting the most
appropriate way of intervening. The timber ties are
subject to decay (mainly due to biological attack), as
well as to failure of connections, especially those not
properly detailed. Thus, the strong point of timber
Top, left to right: Fig.1
Traditional vernacular
architecture with
timber ties in Greece
(Touliatos and
Vintzileou, 2005)
Middle: Fig.2
Sketches of box-like
structures subjected to
preliminary elastic
analyses
©Anna Skoura
Bottom-left: Fig.3
Horizontal
deformations of
models subjected to
both dead loads and
seismic actions:
Maximum values'
comparison [in mm]
©Anna Skoura
Bottom-right: Fig.4
Shear forces and outof-plain bending
moments of models
subjected to both dead
loads and seismic
actions: Maximum
values' comparison
©Anna Skoura
28
a-Unreinforced
b-Reinforced (ties at
1.0m intervals)
c-Reinforced (ties at
0.5m intervals)
d-Unreinforced with
opening
e-Reinforced with
opening
As the replacement of original timber elements and their
transverse connection at intervals is a very difficult task,
alternative intervention techniques should be sought for
the preservation of historic buildings built in this way. The
substitution of timber ties by internal ties made of stainless
steel, the strengthening of masonry itself through grouting
and the modification of the entire building’s function by
providing diaphragms at floor and roof levels are some of
the most commonly employed techniques. A preliminary
investigation of the aforementioned techniques’ efficiency,
in terms of structural behaviour, was performed within this
thesis, showing that the addition of the diaphragm (alone
or combined with other techniques) offers a very good
solution.
Applying the preliminary analyses described above to a
case study facilitated the comparison of different
intervention techniques’ effectiveness in a more realistic
structure. Evaluation of the different techniques
combining the structural efficiency of the interventions
with their suitability according to current intervention
practices followed. A vernacular building of the middle
Byzantine period was used as a case study (Fig.6 and Fig.7),
for which a pathology scenario was drafted and alternative
interventions were proposed, modelled and analysed.
Results showed that the best outcome, regarding the
structural efficiency, can be achieved by combining the
beneficial effects of reinforced masonry and rigid flooring.
Two methodologies were employed to decide on the
intervention’s suitability: the Nara Grid[5] and the
Efficiency factor[6]. The Nara Grid is an instrument
created to facilitate the visualization of the layered concept
of authenticity[7], as stated in the Nara Document on
Authenticity, while the Efficiency factor is a pseudoquantitative method assisting the decision making in
relation with the strengthening of the monument. Both
methods lead to the same result: the adoption of
interventions respecting the historic fabric and the
structure’s original behaviour, namely replacement of the
damaged timber elements with new ones and realization of
the transversal connections with steel rods, in addition to
insertion of a diaphragm at floor levels in the form of
additional timber flooring perpendicular to the existing
one to add rigidity.
The research results presented in this thesis constitute a
preliminary investigation in a field where available
experimental and analytical results are very scarce.
Simplified analyses were performed to provide basic
information that should guide planning of more accurate
analytic work. It is believed, however, that the results
obtained underscore the effect of the timber ties in the
seismic behaviour of masonry structures.
Endnote
[1]Skoura A. 2009. The effect of timber ties in the seismic
behaviour of historic masonry. MSc Thesis, Raymond Lemaire
International Centre for Conservation, Katholieke Universiteit
Leuven, Belgium
reinforced buildings turns out to be a weak point, since
timber ties lose their beneficial functions and, in turn,
masonry sections are reduced in places where timber ties
are decayed or disintegrated.
[2]Touliatos P., Vintzileou E., 2005. Study of masonry enforced
with horizontal timber ties - Guidelines for structural
interventions, Research Program of Earthquake Planning and
Protection Organisation, Hellenic Ministry of Public Works [in
Greek]
[3]CEN. 2005. Eurocode 6: Design of masonry structures - Part
1.1: General rules for reinforced and unreinforced masonry
structures.
[4]CEN. 2004. Eurocode 5: Design of timber structures - Part
1.1: General - Common rules and rules for buildings.
[5] Van Balen, K. 2008. The Nara Grid: An evaluation scheme
based on the Nara document on authenticity. APT Bulletin: the
journal of preservation technology. Vol. XXXIX, M-23, 39-45
[6] Tassios, Th. 2004. Decision making related to monuments’
strengthening. In: Trakossopoulou K. Doussi M. Xatzitrifon N.K.
Ed. Appropriate interventions for the safeguarding of monuments
and historical buildings. Vol. 1. Thessaloniki. 37-56 [in Greek]
[7] ICOMOS. 1994. The Nara Document on Authenticity. Nara,
J a p a n : N o v e m b e r 1 9 9 4 . Av a i l a b l e f r o m : h t t p : / /
www.international.icomos.org/naradoc_eng.htm
Top-left: Fig.5
Timber connections
for splicing of
longitudinal
elements
©Anna Skoura
a. Lap joint: simple diagonal
connection with one nail
b. Superimposition of elements with
one nail
Top-right: Fig.6
Case study:
vernacular building
in Dimitsana, Greece
(Touliatos and
Vintzileou, 2005)
c. Use of additional timber element
d. lap joint with two nails
Bottom: Fig.7
Plans and sections
of the case study.
(Touliatos and
Vintzileou, 2005)
Left to right:
plan of ground floor,
plan of first floor,
section A-A
29
THESIS GALLERY
Heliopolis - Where is it going to?
Master thesis By Ahmed Mostafa Mansour (architect, Egypt)
Promoter: Prof. Paul Lievevrouw
The notion of heritage refers to inherited goods
(tangible and intangible). Heritage enables people
to relate to a collective past and remember history,
and at the same time involves value in use.
Whenever the heritage of Egypt is mentioned, the
first thing that comes to mind is the Pharaonic
heritage, or in case of Cairo, the Islamic and
Coptic heritage of the medieval city. The
UNESCO has named six sites as common heritage
of humankind, and part of its World Heritage list
(Memphis and its necropolis-The Giza pyramids,
Ancient Thebes, Nubian monuments, Islamic
Cairo, the Monastery of Saint Catherine, and Abu
Mina Monastery) – mostly archaeological sites.
The recent history of Egypt and the heritage it
produced has been totally ignored.
Cairo underwent a lot of transformations and
expansions through history. Most recently, during
the 19th century, developments were mainly based
on the Haussmannian model, with boulevards,
shopping arcades and public parks. Heliopolis in
itself is part of this development. At the turn of
the 20th century, in the desert of Cairo, a city was
being built from scratch. The concession was
granted to the Belgian industrialist Baron Edouard
Empain and the Egyptian Armenian Boghos
Nubar Pasha. The principal objective was to
establish a railroad and electric tram ways, by the
Cairo electric railways and Heliopolis Oases
Company, and the government of Egypt would
sell, yield and transfer rights to property of 25
square kilometers (roughly the same area 1906
Cairo), to the company, in order to invest it in real
Bottom 4 images
Old views of Heliopolis
(Lehnert and
Landrock. Orient Arab
publishers, ca. 1920)
30
estate. The Heliopolis Oases Company was
established on the 23 January 1906, with a capital
of 15 million Belgian francs.
Originally the plan was to build 2 oases in the
desert, one residential and for tourists, while the
second was intended for factories and workers. But
following the economical crisis in 1907, the
investment was concentrated in the first oasis. In
order to attract people to the newly developed city,
a hippodrome and an amusement park, plus an
aerodrome, a sporting club and cinemas were
erected. The new city was intended to provide the
entire infrastructure, and to be totally
independent, thus the company built two water
reservoirs and a huge power plant for the new city.
After several unsuccessful attempts to provide
sewage to the city, an arrangement was made with
the government and a sewage line connected
Heliopolis to Cairo in 1909.
Heliopolis was very contemporary and European,
with avenues and boulevards, gardens and open
spaces but with an Islamic appearance in its
facades. The buildings of Heliopolis were studied
together in order to create a harmonious visual
image. The earliest architecture had European
features (infrastructure, and plans) in addition to
Islamic decorative elements (arches, towers, niches
and cupolas), albeit not applied in traditional
proportions. This Neo-Islamic style, occasionally
referred to as Baroque Islamic architecture, is very
much visible in the early buildings built by the
company.
Building n# 16 Damascus Street (Mosque Avenue)
The thesis addressed the urban transformation of Heliopolis, and the near
future that awaits it, linked to the historical context that is still visible. The first
chapter gave a quick overview of Cairo, especially the 19th- and 20th-century
developments. The second chapter then focused on Heliopolis, with all the
events that defined the new town and the reasons for its transformation. The
change of regulations for building and urban planning might have been one
of the many reasons for transformation, thus chapter three gave a very brief
study of the topic.
The second part of the thesis analysed the values that have survived the
transformation. In detail, a part of Heliopolis, formerly the entrance to the
city with the hippodrome and the amusement park was analysed on different
urban levels. It has historical importance, as well as social and economical
significance. What remains of the entrance is just the stand. The rest of the
projects do not exist anymore. The study area dealt with the remains, as well
as the old urban fabric that still exists in some parts, and the new development
that has been created there. A number of questions have been raised, such as:
what is the future awaiting Heliopolis? Is it undergoing a normal
transformation or does Heliopolis need to be saved? Where is Heliopolis going
to, and where do we want to take it? This study might help find a way to
understand where Heliopolis is going, and where we really want to take it!!
In the 50s, the golf course and the hippodrome were re-located to the
outskirts of Heliopolis, where new development was in progress. In 1960, the
company was nationalized. The responsibility for the metro, water and
electricity networks was transferred to the governmental organizations in
charge of these services. The extension continued east and northeast. The
total surface area of Heliopolis is 25 million square meters (1995). In May
2005 Heliopolis celebrated its centennial, organized by the Heliopolis
association, Cairo governorate, and the Ministry of Housing, the Belgian and
the French embassy in Cairo. As part of the celebration, the Egyptian
government bought the Baron’s palace, and a restoration project was
developed for it. Now, the project that started more than 100 years ago in the
desert is a suburb of Cairo.
Building n# 6-8 Ibrahim El Lakkany Street (Abbas
Blvd.)
References:
1. Ilbert, Robert. Heliopolis: le Caire 1905-1922, genèse d´une ville. Centre
régional de publications de Marseille, 1981.
Building n# 3 Aleppo Street (Pastour Street)
2. Sakr, Tarek Mohammed Refaat. Early twentieth-century Islamic
architecture in Cairo. The American University in Cairo Press, 1993.
3. Saint Omer, Henri de. Les entreprises Belges en Egypte, Rapport sur la
situation économique des sociétés belges et belge- égyptiennes fonctionnant
en Egypte. Brussels, 1907.
4. Dobrowolska, Agnieszka and Jarostaw Dobrowolska. Heliopolis: Rebirth of
the city of the sun. The American University in Cairo Press, 2006.
5. El Kadi, Galila and Dalila ElKerdany. “Belle-époque Cairo- the politics of
refurbishing downtown Cairo”, in Cairo Cosmopolitan: Politics, Culture
and Urban space in the new globalized Middle East, Singerman, Diane
and Paul Amar, editors. p. 345-368. The American University in Cairo
press, 2006.
Building n# 31 Nazih Khalifa Street
Top 4 images
Selection of building
inventory, photos by
Sarah Rafea
Bottom right
Building time line:
distribution of
buildings prior 1914
©Ahmed Mostafa
Mansour
Bottom left
Urban Proposal
©Ahmed Mostafa
Mansour
31
Doctoral Research Completed
Competition between carbonation and hydration in the hardening
of calcium hydroxide and calcium silicate binders
PhD dissertation by Dr. Özlem Cizer, Department of Civil Engineering (BWK), K.U.Leuven
Promoters: Prof. dr. Koenraad Van Balen and Prof. dr. Dionys Van Gemert
This doctoral research has been carried out at the
Building Materials and Building Technology Division at
Civil Engineering Department between 2005 and 2009. In
this research, hardening reactions of calcium hydroxide
(i.e. lime) and calcium silicate binders (i.e. lime-pozzolana,
hydraulic lime and cement-lime) due to carbonation and
hydration have been studied, and the consequences on the
hardened mortar properties have been investigated. This
research contributes to the field of lime-based mortars
used for the conservation of architectural heritage and to
the field of sustainable construction materials using lime.
Carbonation reaction occurs when CO2 in air dissolves in
the pore water of the mortar and reacts with calcium
hydroxide, resulting in the precipitation of calcium
carbonate crystals. This reaction has been studied with a
carbonation experimental set-up coupled with an in-situ
X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. This novel set-up allows
studying the reaction rate using the uptake of CO2 by
calcium hydroxide and using the precipitation of calcium
carbonate. The carbonation reaction proceeds in two
stages: initial carbonation at the early stage and increased
carbonation at the later stage. During the initial
carbonation stage, the reaction controlling factor is the
dissolution rate of calcium hydroxide and CO2 in the
pore water. At later stages of carbonation, diffusion of
CO2 is the rate controlling factor because evaporation of
water creates open pore space allowing diffusion paths for
CO2. Carbonation conditions (CO2 concentration and
relative humidity) and particle properties of calcium
hydroxide have been found to have a strong impact on the
habit, size and morphology of the precipitated calcium
carbonate. Such differences have negligible effect on the
porosity and on the mechanical strength of the mortars.
Hydration reaction is the main hardening reaction of
calcium silicate binders due to the reaction of calcium
silicates and calcium aluminates with water, forming
hydrated compounds. Hydration of hydraulic lime and
lime-pozzolana (i.e. lime-metakaolin, lime-trass and limezeolite) proceeds more gradually when compared with the
fast cement hydration. In mortars prepared with calcium
silicate binders, hydration reaction is the first reaction
taking place at the early stage and it is responsible for the
main strength gain. Carbonation of free lime occurs as the
secondary reaction and contributes to the strength
development of the mortar at later stages. It has been
found that this reaction order can be altered in limepozzolana mortars by the moisture content and by the
reactivity of the pozzolanic material. Carbonation of lime
prevails under dry conditions for low reactive pozzolanic
materials such as trass and zeolite. This lowers the degree
of the hydration reactions and, therefore, the strength of
the mortars. To avoid this, lime-pozzolana mortars as well
as hydraulic lime mortars should be kept moist during the
first 28 days to enhance the hydration reactions and to
assure sufficient mechanical strength. In cement-lime
mortars, composed of cement replacement with lime in
30%, 50% and 70%, competitive reaction order between
cement hydration and lime carbonation does not occur
under atmospheric conditions because fast cement
hydration is the first reaction building up a sound hydrated
microstructure.
These results show that the degree and the order of
hydration and carbonation reactions can have an
important influence on the strength development of the
lime-based mortars. This strongly relies on the binder
compositions and curing conditions that should be dealt
with carefully when application of these mortars is
considered.
Available at: http://bwk.kuleuven.be/materials/
Publications/phd_theses/PhD_2009_OC.html
P.S.: After a very competitive selection process, Dr. Özlem
Cizer was awarded a post-doc fellowship from the
Research Foundation – Flanders to continue her research
on carbonation in our research group.
Net CO2 uptake by calcium hydroxide (left) and net CO2 uptake rate (right), measured in the
carbonation set-up, show the progress of the carbonation reaction in time. ©Özlem Cizer
32
On Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 May, a
workshop has been organized by Paul Lievevrouw
at the RLICC with students of the Master of
Conservation of Monuments and Sites (MCMS)
and with professionals in the field of conservation
and heritage. For the students, this workshop was
an occasion to present their current work (in the
framework of the IPW3 project) and to have a
critical and constructive discussion about new
trends in architecture, conservation and urban
planning. In the evening, the alumni of the RLICC
were also invited to join the discussion panel.
For this workshop, the RLICC was pleased to invite
Andrew Barnett (Hopkins Architects, London) and
Philip Stein (Urbact II Thematic Pool Manager for the
EU Urbact Programme, Brussels), both distinguished
practitioners in the field of conservation.
Andrew Barnett is currently Director at Hopkins
Architects (London, www.hopkins.co.uk), an
internationally acclaimed architectural firm which
has pioneered in the field of Membrane
Architecture, lightweight structures, wood
structures and sustainability. In the field of
restoration, Hopkins has acquired international
acclaim for the restoration of the Glyndebourne
Opera House (UK, 1994) and the Norwich
Cathedral Refectory (UK, 2004). In the field of
sustainability and healthcare, Hopkins has recently
built the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
(USA, New Haven, Yale University, 2009), the Inn
the Park (St-James’ Park, London, 2004) and the
Evelina Children’s Hospital (London, UK, 2009).
Philip Stein is urban planner, geographer and
alumnus student of the RLICC. After his first
professional experiences in Edinburgh, Bristol and
Glenrothes, he joined the Groep Planning (now Sum,
Brussels), to work on urban planning projects,
mobility studies, and regeneration programmes in
historic cities in Europe. Currently, he is Urbact II
Thematic Pool Manager within the framework of the
EU Urbact programme.
In his presentation, Andrew Barnett (Hopkins
Architects) explained the specific approach, expertise
and knowledge of Hopkins Architects in relation to
conservation and heritage projects. Most particular
to their approach, is the combination of high-tech
techniques (membrane architecture, lightweight
structures, wood structures) and sustainability
techniques with existing and new building
structures. For A. Barnett, the quality of
architecture results not from its potential iconic
status or from its mere technical or spatial qualities,
but from the synergy between technique and the
spatial, social and historical context. The urban
quality of buildings derives from its capability to
create a social buffer or microcosmos. This requires
urban planning to be conceived as a long-term
redevelopment strategy, rather than as a short-term
Master Plan. “A project is a moment to be very
sensible about things.”
By Prof. Paul Lievevrouw, RLICC
MASTER CLASS
Dialogue on Urban Conservation
Workshop of urbanism with Andrew Barnett and Philip Stein
In his presentation “Urbact, Heritage and
City(re)generation”, Philip Stein explained the
general context and workings of the Urbact II City
Exchange Project, with a specific attention for two
ongoing projects, Repair en HerO. In his
introduction, he described the general philosophy
behind the projects and the question of integrated
approach. The Repair Project has as objective to
develop alternative site uses and technologies which
can secure a long-term preservation of the military
heritage, by contributing to the broader sustainable
development of the surrounded urban areas. The
HerO project has as objective to develop sustainable
management strategies for vital historic urban
landscapes. It aims at developing and implementing
integrated cultural heritage management systems as
innovative tools to support a sustainable futureoriented development which combines the
preservation of the historic urban landscape with
the socio-economic development of the city.
Left
Norwich Cathedral
Refectory, Norwich
(UK), Hopkins
Architects. 2004
Right
Inn the Park, StJames’ Park,
London (UK),
Hopkins
Architects, 2004
33
Documenting Holland College, Leuven
Master student’s internship in the Monument Division of Technical
Services, K.U.Leuven
By Luis Albers (architect, Venezuela), second-year student
Supervised by Zeljka Knezevic, Director of the
Monument Division, this internship was undertaken fulltime from 5 January to 3 April 2009, and combined onsite architectural survey with AutoCAD drawing in the
office.
Description of the Internship:
The place assigned to do the architectural survey was the
Holland College in Janseniusstraat, Leuven (Paridaens
Institute). It covers an area of 3.221,13 m#.
The tools used to do the architectural survey were metric
type, disto and total station to measure, and digital camera
to do documentation, in addition to panoramic photos and
photo rectification. Most of the time the measures were
taken by myself. While working with the total station,
however, I could count on the help and guidance of Prof.
Mario Santana. The sketches were made room by room
with some details.
The building has four floors. The ground floor comprises
1286,55 m#, the first floor 699,66 m#, while the second and
third both measure 617,47 m#. Although the objectives did
not include analysing the material conditions nor the
construction chronology, this would clearly be an
interesting case to do a project work. The building indeed
shows different construction stages in its wood structure
and materials (brick, stone), and in other details.
For the measurements, a Leica total station was used in
some strategic areas and especially in the perimeter walls
and inside the chapel. This information made it easier to
make plans and elevations, which for the facades were
usefully combined with photo rectification.
After the on site survey work, the office work to make the
architectural drawings started, but time was insufficient to
finish all of them.
Luis Albers working with the Total Station in the chapel of Holland College
taking general points. ©Mario Santana
!
Reflection on the Internship:
It was a great experience at the K.U. Leuven Technical
Services in the Monuments Division. The opportunity to
learn and practice in a site like the Holland College, to
make a complete architectural survey, to use specific tools
such as a total station and a disto, and to take full
responsibility of the representation of the architectural
survey, was very valuable. In my initial research at RLICC
(on a good example of Leuven heritage), I had already
learned how a team of architects could work in the
conservation field; this experience nicely completed the
previous one.
After this survey work, I would very much like another
opportunity to continue working on the architectural
drawings, and to pursue the maintenance, restoration and
conservation process in this site. Based on the survey, we
can already see that certain areas need restoration, and
especially the roof of the chapel which has some cracks
that must be monitored.
Top left
Total station data
of the survey of
Holland College
Top right
Hand survey was
made room by
room with some
details
©Luis Albers
Bottom left
Photo rectification
and process to
make the south
facade drawing
Bottom right
Finalized AutoCAD
survey drawing of
the ground floor
plan
!
!
All total station
works are made
by Luis Albers and
Mario Satana
!
34
!
By Ben De Vriendt (archaeologist, Belgium), Thomas De Vos (archaeologist, Belgium),
Barbara Fogarasi (architect, Hungary), second-year students
Strasbourg, London, Tirana, Sofia, Pristina… the
scenes of our activities in the past weeks and
months. A dive into the unknown, a taste of
adventure, even a leap of faith? Certainly, seeking
out the possibilities, then taking on the initially
somewhat vague tasks of a newly created assistant
position at the Council of Europe required
persistence and confidence in our abilities as well as
an open and humble attitude to adapt to
unexpected situations, cultures and people.
For the internship to be carried out during the
second year of the Master Program in the
Conservation of Monuments and Sites, we had the
chance to get involved in a project of international
dimension. Through Prof. Koenraad Van Balen,
three of us got in touch with Mikhaël de Thyse, a
former student of RLICC and currently working at
the Regional Co-operation Division within the
Directorate for Culture and Cultural and Natural
Heritage, DGIV at the Council of Europe. He is
the Project Manager of IRPP/SAAH, a strange
abbreviation which hides the full name of the
project in which our assistance was requested:
Integrated Rehabilitation Project Plan/Survey of
the Architectural and Archaeological Heritage, one
of the three Components proposed within the
Regional Programme for Cultural and Natural
Heritage in South-East Europe 2003-2008
(RPSEE). The programme is partially funded by a
financial contribution from the Programme
“Culture 2000” of the European Commission and
is administered through the Technical Co-operation
and Consultancy Programme.
The IRPP/SAAH and the Ljubljana Process
This project, commenced already in 2003, is a joint
activity implemented by the Council of Europe and
the European Commission in the countries of
South-East Europe, namely Albania, Bosnia and
Three RLICC students assisting the integrated rehabilitation of
South-East European cultural heritage
MASTER CLASS
Internship at the Council of Europe
Left to right: Thomas De Vos, Ben De Vriendt and Barbara Fogarasi
©Thomas De Vos
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro,
Romania, Serbia, “The Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia” and Kosovo[1]. As described on the
website (www.coe.int/see), “it aims at harmonizing the
built heritage protection standards between participating
States. It is based on the belief that the heritage of each
country is part of our common European heritage, for which
there is a shared responsibility. (...) Various actions led to the
evaluation of needs, identification of priorities and technical
requirements associated with 186 significant buildings and
Left
CoE in
Strasbourg
©Barbara
Fogarasi
Right
Workshop in
Strasbourg
©Barbara
Fogarasi
35
sites of the region, with a view to conservation, restoration,
appropriate rehabilitation and long-term sustainability. Ultimately it
offers the institutions concerned a strategic tool for improving their
project management”[2]. In this sense, it is very much about
empowerment and directly contributes to institutional
capacity-building, two key-terms we learned in the process.
The purpose of this project is also to prepare the countries
involved for the forthcoming free economic market.
Stepping out from a communist-socialist context, the
region is now in a period of transition, when western
companies come to establish themselves in the Balkans.
The migration towards the urban centres increases,
resulting in a booming building activity. In this process,
however the heritage is often neglected, sites and
monuments become threatened. The local institutions are
usually powerless and the law is not adapted to the actual
socio-economic situation. There is a general lack of
confidence in heritage management and an obvious lack of
resources for conservation and rehabilitation, as well as
insufficient staff trained in either project management or
restoration skills.
In fact, still quoting from the website, “the IRPP/SAAH has
been a ground-breaking initiative which has embraced significant
number of sites across a wide spectrum, from Roman theatres and
baths to twentieth-century power plants and coal mines (…) The
project has enabled these buildings and sites to become candidates for
funding, placing the heritage at the heart of communities’
rehabilitation initiatives and convincing the local population, prey to
economic uncertainty and social vulnerability, of the value of the
cultural heritage and the potential benefits of its revitalisation, which
could benefit them as well as the investors, through associated
possibilities for tourism”[3]. In this regard, the crucial idea is
awareness-raising, not only within the ministries and
various institutions, but also among the general public and
local inhabitants.
From the 186 emblematic sites, 26 so called Consolidated
Projects were selected as part of the Ljubljana Process –
named as such because the decision was taken at a
conference in Ljubljana – whose rehabilitation will have a
profound and far-reaching effect in contributing to
economic revival and long-term local growth. As envisaged
by the CoE, “the success of these projects would serve as a model
for continuing, publicly and privately-supported, dynamic regeneration
of the European heritage in the region. It would also enable legislative
reforms, and improvements of management procedures and
professional training”[4]. The process will be finished in
November 2009 by a conference to be held once again in
Ljubljana.
Left
European
Parliament
©Thomas De Vos
Right
Project
coordinator
meeting, April 30,
London
©Thomas De Vos
36
The Methodology
The procedure follows a well established, yet continuously
and creatively evolving scheme where the Project Manager,
the Project Leader (an expert from the UK) and the
Secretariat of the CoE manages the workflow of all nine
countries, which in turn are represented through their
respective Project Coordinators. Among other things, they
coordinate the work of the appointed Management
Teams, responsible for a specific monument or site.
Another important actor is the Program Coordinator of
each country, who ensures awareness on ministerial level
and encourages the implementation of management
strategies in the legislation. What is hindering the process
perhaps the most is the frequent personnel change in
governmental institutions, so typical in young democratic
systems. Aside from the Project Leader, several other
international expert-consultants are designated by the CoE
to offer and integrate their expertise in specific areas and
conduct on-site work as needed.
The Ljubljana Process has become a well-defined
methodology, which starts with the elaboration of an
Assessment Report on the current situation of the
architectural and archaeological heritage in the area. Each
country is to establish a Prioritized Intervention List (PIL),
including significant heritage sites considered in urgent
need of conservation and/or restoration. This list is to be
regularly revised based on the change in condition of each
monument or site and with the possibility of adding new
ones. For each site on the PIL a Preliminary Technical
Assessment (PTA) is to be carried out, which can then lead
to the establishment of Feasibility Studies and Business
Plans, specifically tailored to attract investors. Additionally,
“Plaques” are awarded for all projects with a PTA to be
put on-site, indicating the involvement of the CoE in the
rehabilitation process.
The Internship
To facilitate the work of the – rather busy and rather
expensive – experts and to fill in the inauspiciously
widening gap between the Project Manager and the
Project Coordinators, Mikhaël de Thyse made a request to
Prof. Koenraad Van Balen to involve students in the
process as Project Assistants. Within the scope of our
internship, our task is thus to act as liaison between the
CoE, the experts and the countries’ Project Coordinators,
to ease up communication blocks and to provide assistance
wherever needed.
The following step was a week of training in Strasbourg’s
European quarter, where we clarified the details of our job
with Mikhaël de Thyse, identifying the tasks to be carried
out during our missions in the countries. We also got a
coaching session on self-confidence building and CoE
image projection, that is how we would present ourselves,
maintaining credibility, humility and pragmatism. In the
meantime, it slowly became clear that Ben would go to
Bulgaria, Thomas to Albania and Barbara to Kosovo. As
these trips were dependent on the receptiveness of the
Project Coordinators, we had to be flexible and adapt
ourselves – like a chameleon – to the given situation. We
had the opportunity in Strasbourg to look into the files and
read the documents necessary to prepare ourselves in order
to provide the best assistance possible during our stay in
these countries.
Following are the accounts of our three missions with very
different experiences – straight from the shoulder:
Ben’s Mission to Bulgaria
Before I take you on a short mission tour, I will inform you
a bit about myself and my thoughts regarding our role as
Project Assistants. It is not within my capacity as an
archaeologist to discuss structural problems for the
Basilica, nor to advise the people which mortar they should
use for the conservation of Roman baths. Therefore I
intended to visit the sites with the eyes of a tourist. Are the
sites clearly presented? What is lacking? What has to be
done to present it to the public? So I focused more on
assisting with the management of the sites, also because for
the people working on the site, these skills are lacking.
The first site I visited was the Archaeological Reserve in
Sredets, which is close to the Black Sea and shows traces of
continuous occupation from the Bronze Age up to the 14th
century AD. During the road trip from Varna to Sredets
(about four hours) it was painful to see the whole seaside
being devastated by the construction of hotels. Some of
them are finished and open to the public, others already
abandoned in an early stage of the building process. It was
a great relief (also because it was extremely hot in the car)
to arrive at the Reserve and to see some culture! The site
used to be adjacent to the Black Sea, but now the sea
moved back 20 kilometres and gypsies took its place. They
drive around in small chariots pulled by ponies and I
advised the director of the Reserve to make them feel part
of the project (for example, they could take tourists in their
chariots as the site covers such a big area). Hopefully by
next summer, the site will be open for the public.
After having the same painful experience on my way back
to Varna, I was happy to fly to Sofia, the capital of
Bulgaria, where I visited the Underground Archaeological
Level of the Basilica. This level consists of 50 graves,
dating back to Roman times. The site will be open for the
public within thirty-six months. I admired the people
working there. They have been digging there for more
than fifteen years. They even have an underground dining
place. At first it felt a bit strange having to talk (as a
youngster) to a bunch of elderly people, but this feeling
disappeared rather quickly and they were enthusiastic
about the proposals I made.
It was all still a purple haze upon our first encounter with
the project and its participants at the coordination meeting
in Brussels in mid-November, 2008. Our involvement
became better defined and commenced only in May, 2009
when we joined the following coordination meeting, this
time organized in London. As we realized here, it was
mostly up to us how exactly we manage to place ourselves
in the process, rather than getting a clear description of
our tasks. Having listened and understood the situation, we
tried to establish personal contacts with the different
countries’ Project Coordinators to get first-hand insight
and information about the strengths and weaknesses they
are experiencing in the procedure.
I sincerely hope that one day one of you will go and visit
these sites.
Thomas’ Mission to Albania
Tirana, the capital of Albania, is exploding due to the
recent construction boom. What was once a small town
becomes nowadays a metropolitan centre. In some spots of
the capital, ancient constructions of a more rural character
can still be found. These testimonies of the past are
however neglected. The population is very poor compared
to European standards. Albania is the poorest European
country which is mainly due to its isolation for over fifty
years of communist dictatorship. Old women move every
day from the countryside to Tirana in order to sell fresh
vegetables and herbs on the street for low prices. People
are still used to this kind of authoritarian government. The
Prime Minister has all the power. People don’t take any
initiative. There is a general mood of ‘laisser faire’. Foreign
companies are settling down and investing in the country.
The natural beauty of the coastline becomes more and
more threatened by the construction of lines of hotels
immediately next to the beach.
Left
Archaeological
Site of Apollonia,
Albania
©Thomas De Vos
Right
Monastery from
the 13th century in
the Archaeological
Site of Apollonia,
Albania
©Thomas De Vos
37
My mission was inscribed in the context of a workshop
organized by the CoE and the local institutions concerning
the elaboration of the Business Plan for the Consolidated
Projects of the Bazaar of Korça and the Museum for the
Archaeological Park of Apollonia. This document is
addressed to potential investors who have to be convinced.
The workshop was presided by experts selected through
the CoE; namely David Johnson, architect from London –
Johnson-Dannatt Architects, and Dolya Yordanova,
Project Coordinator from Bulgaria. Besides the help given
to the Project Coordinator for the preparation of the
workshop and the different documents, my task became a
kind of ethnographic analysis. I tried to understand the
context in order to help the different parties in the most
appropriate way. Giving each day a kind of daily report of
what happened and how things proceeded, instructions
could arrive from Strasbourg or London on how I should
react in the best way and what was more important to be
achieved. The situation often made feel like a secret agent.
Barbara’s Mission to Kosovo
How to prepare for a country, which has just recently
celebrated its first birthday, where the population consists
of 92% Albanians and barely any Serbians, who
nevertheless still claim the territory to be one with their
own country; a place where you can pay with Euros and of
which we know much more from the news rather than
friends’ vacation stories? In any case, I had a mission to
complete there, which I was very much hoping would not
turn into a mission impossible.
Pristina, the capital, where I spent my week is trying
desperately to give the impression of a pleasant city, with
its abundance of trendy cafés and pubs, yet it cannot hide
neither its distant nor its recent past. The city suffered
bombing in the Second World War, and again during the
1999 Kosovo crisis, but most damages to its historic
buildings are due to socialist fatal urban planning and
present-day illegal constructions. While conservation
specialists were carefully drafting the Venice Charter in
another corner of the world, deliberate large-scale
demolition of the old centre took place in Pristina in the
name of building a new socialist city. A book from 1959
boasts that “old shop fronts and other shaky old structures
are quickly disappearing to make room for fine tall,
modern-style buildings”[5]. The main Catholic church,
mosques, the covered bazaar, the synagogue, a hamam
bath house and several Ottoman town houses fell prey to
this egotistic urban approach. The two rivers flowing
through the city were also covered up, and by the late
Left
The unfinished
Orthodox Church
next to the
National Library in
Pristina
©Barbara
Fogarasi
Right
The Cupolas of
the Great Turkish
Hamam in Pristina
are reconstructed
©Barbara
Fogarasi
38
1980s Pristina had become a town without rivers and
without a visible past. The careless attitude of the 1950s
still lives on as several listed buildings have disappeared
without trace and the remaining monuments are often in
poor condition. This tells much about the current
cityscape and the continuous threat to the cultural heritage
all over the region.
The lack of tourist sights in the city was in my case an
advantage, as I barely had time even to take a look at the
pseudo-futuristic national library located in the university
campus. During one morning I was taken around the few
remaining sites in Pristina, three mosques and a hamam,
most of which are under restoration of dubious quality.
My daily task involved the assistance of the Project
Coordinator, which in Kosovo’s case was crucial, since a
new person came on board just a couple of months before.
She works for the Ministry of Culture, conveniently
located on the main walking street, formerly named after
Tito, now called Mother Theresa street. It is continuously
crowded by people strolling by or sitting on the benches
and kids playing. Indeed, Kosovo’s population is extremely
young, over 50% of it being under the age of 25.
Similarly to Thomas in Albania, I also attended and
helped in a local workshop on the preparation of Business
Plans, organized for the Management Team members of
the three Consolidated Projects: the Fortress in Prizren, the
“Old House” in Gjakova and a former watermill and
granary building in Peje. The workshop was led by the
Project Coordinator of the Former Yugoslavian Republic
of Macedonia, which demonstrates an initiative by the
CoE, who encourage the participating countries to assist
each other. It was interesting to experience the difficulties
of implementing the ideas and methodology of a western
mentality into a Balkan way of thinking and working.
Even I needed much patience there to tolerate the laidback and undisciplined manners in the meetings;
nevertheless, I had to conclude that this world of
macchiato may not be so difficult to get used to.
Another conspicuous phenomenon in Pristina is the
presence of a high number of foreigners sent here on short
or long-term missions, in or out of uniform. In fact, they
are the ones who give most of the business to the cafés,
restaurants and bars. Ironically, it is because of all this
foreign help from the US and the EU (who are competing
for results) that locals get somewhat lazy in doing their job
for the country’s improvement, which makes the process of
empowerment a rather tricky exercise.
Back in Strasbourg
Having completed our respective missions, we returned for
a session of debriefing in Strasbourg. Mikhaël de Thyse
expressed his satisfaction concerning the work
accomplished, the information gathered, the good contacts
established and the assistance given on our part. With this
fruitful involvement, a new position was created in the
process by defining the role of Project Assistants, for which
there is a continuous need. First-year students from the
Centre are encouraged to inquire. Hopefully, through this
modest report on our experiencez we have aroused some
interest among the potential future Project Assistants, who
will follow in our footsteps and have the chance to discover
the hidden cultural treasures of South-East Europe.
Endnote
[1] All reference to Kosovo, whether the territory,
institutions or population, in CoE texts shall be understood
in full compliance with United Nations Security Council
Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of
Kosovo.
[2]http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/regional/
see/IRPPSAAH/
[3] Ibid.
[4]http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/regional/
see/IRPPSAAH/
IRPPSAAH_LjubljanaProcess_en.asp#TopOfPage
[5] European Stability Initiative - http://www.esiweb.org
Left
Interior of Fatih
Mosque, Pristina
©Barbara
Fogarasi
Right
Orthodox church
from 13th century,
Archaeological
Site of Apllonia,
Albania
©Thomas De Vos
39
IN MEMORIAM
40
In Memoriam of Stef Binst
By Prof. dr. Luc Verpoest
On 11 July 2009 Stef Binst, alumnus of the
RLICC, passed away at the age of only 48.
Graduated as civil engineer-architect from the
K.U. Leuven Department of Architecture,
Urbanism and Planning, he enrolled in 1983 at the
Raymond Lemaire International Centre for
Conservation. He obtained the certificate in 1984
and worked for a while as assistant at the RLICC.
In 1991 Stef Binst was appointed the first project
coordinator of the newly founded Monumentenwacht
Vlaanderen (Monuments Watch Flanders). He
played a major role in the early development of
this non-governmental organization in the field of
conservation, focusing on preventive conservation
through monitoring and maintenance. He left
Monumentenwacht in 1998 to become the first
coordinator of VCAR / Vlaams Centrum voor
Ambacht en Restauratie (Flemish Centre for Crafts
and Restoration), another non-governmental
conservation organization established as a quality
control and support centre for restoration
craftsmanship. In 2000 VCAR stopped its activities
and Stef Binst moved to the Dienst Werken en
Infrastructuur (Public Works and Infrastructure
Services) of the Province of Antwerp. With his
large and profound knowledge and practical
experience in conservation he contributed
successfully to major conservation and restoration
projects in the province. He also remained a
reliable and pleasing collaborator of
Monumentenwacht, involved in the publication of
maintenance handbooks and also serving as a
welcome and respected advisor as to the ongoing
development of the organization.
Those who had the opportunity to enter into a
professional discussion with Stef Binst and to
experience his critical attitude, will of course not
be surprised to read that, besides his work as a
conservationist, he was also a gifted cartoonist with
a sharp eye for our larger society …as he had for
conservation matters. That is also why we will
really miss him.
Guest lecturers including Daniele Pini (University of Ferrara), Wolfgang Jung (FH Frankfurt), Joris
Capenberghs (Centrum Waerbeke) and Thomas Coomans (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) participated
and created a dialogue with the RLICC staff and first-year students. The owners and stakeholders of
the IPW3 project sites generously shared with us their perspective: that of daily practice, living and
working in these buildings.
VISITORS
At the end of the academic
year, once again we sat
together on the IPW3 final
jury on 25 June 2009 – a
moment to review the
results of master training,
to enjoy students’ creativity,
to share our knowledge and
to reconnect.
Top
Jury members
commenting on the
project work of OnzeLieve-Vrouw-terKoorts kapel, Leuven
©Hsien-yang Tseng
Middle 6 images
from top-left to
bottom-right:
1.Luc Verpoest
2.Father Herman
Janssens, archivist
at the Abbey of
Averbode (left) and
Tim Tillemans,
parson of Wezemaal
(right)
3.Daniele Pini
4.Wolfgang Jung
5.Joris Capenberghs
6.Thomas Coomans
©Hsien-yang Tseng
The final jury also offered a good opportunity for the students’ family members to get a glimpse of
their life, study and hard work in the atelier De Molen and Arenberg Castle.
Bottom
The audience includes
students’ families,
stakeholders of the
project sites, and
interested researchers
from ASRO and BWK
©Sara Van Rompaey
41
Arenberg Castle, May 2009 ©Hsien-yang Tseng
1
2
RLICC Staff, guest lecturers and first-year students at Arenberg Castle, 25th June 2009 ©Mario Santana
3
1
KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN
STAFF
RAYMOND LEMAIRE INTERNATIONAL
CENTRE FOR CONSERVATION
Prof. Andrea Bruno, President
Prof. dr. Koen Van Balen, Director
Prof. dr. Krista De Jonge, Program Director
Faculty of Engineering
Kasteelpark Arenberg 1
B-3001 Heverlee
Belgium
Phone: +32 16 32 17 48
Fax: +32 16 32 19 83
[email protected]
www.sprecomah.eu/rlicc
www.asro.kuleuven.be/rlicc
Prof. dr. Luc Verpoest
Prof. Paul Lievevrouw
Prof. dr. Herman Neuckermans
Prof. dr. Mario Santana
Prof. dr. Annemie Draye
Prof. Babara van der Wee,
Course Coordinators
M.Cons. Cristina Purcar
M.Cons. Hsien-yang Tseng
M.Arch. Sara Van Rompaey,
Researchers
Hannelore De Keyser, Administrative Coordinator
1

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