2-1. The idea of Architectural Conservation

2. Literature Review

2-1. The idea of Architectural Conservation

The earliest preservation regulation can be traced back to 1933 when Le Corbusier and CIAM (Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne) come up with the idea of Charte d'Athènes which is the Charter of Athens. The Charte mainly focuses on urban planning but it is also related to the preservation of the monuments. It set up the 7 general principles for all kinds of monuments. And it brings a huge influence on the postwar world. "67. But their preservation should no [sic] entail that people are obliged to live in insalubrious [sic] conditions." 3 According to Charte, monuments should be kept only when they were valuable and did not affect people living conditions.

Take Philadelphia city as an example, reservation, demolition, and reproduction are three strategies that city planners apply to the vision of a historicized cityscape. "Preservation indicates the retention of some aspect of the existing built environment; demolition indicates the removal of older built environments deemed to have lesser cultural value; reproduction indicates the creation of new buildings meant to replicate, approximate, or accentuate the historical built environment." 4 According to the article, Philadelphia city's historic building preservation was judging the fate of the monuments based on the three principles by government and professionals. As a result, the city is well combined the modern and old. Monuments are not just become the obstacle of city development but become the booster.

But the rules could also change depending on the value of monuments. Beijing Forbidden City in China is an example, according to the UNESCO's regulation. "For effective protection of the nominated property, a buffer zone is an area surrounding the nominated property which has complementary legal and/or customary restrictions placed on its use and development to give an added layer of protection to the property." 5 Therefore, in 2004, the Beijing Cultural Relics Bureau established a law to protect the complete landscape of the Forbidden City. The law stipulates that the buffer zone must maintain the traditional style and historical authenticity. Therefore, the Forbidden City and its buffer zone become a complete historical site area. The new construction in the area must also comply with the regulations in the law, and building height, spatial scale, architectural form, and color style must be unified with the traditional style. Depending on the value of historical sites, the way they are preserved and protected will also change, and cultural differences will also affect the result.