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Contested Heritage: New Towns and the problematic legacy of Modernism Paris 20 September 2018 Sabine Coady Schäbitz
Contested Heritage:New Towns and the problematic legacy of Modernism
Paris 20 September 2018
Sabine Coady Schäbitz
Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
Objectives:
Establish a New Towns Research Network that brings together university, governmental and
community researchers across the UK and in mainland Europe
Stimulate collaboration and sharing of ideas between New Towns researchers at a number of
network events
Initiate a programme of research through the Network on shared themes of Master Planning;
Architecture, Heritage and the Historic Environment; Building Cultural Capital; Regeneration,
Growth and Skills
Disseminate research findings of the Network, the Seminars and the Plenary Conference
New Town Heritage Research Network
New Towns Heritage Milton Keynes 26 January 2017
New Towns Heritage
▪ Anniversaries
▪ Crisis of Planning
▪ Debate about Garden Cities and Garden Villages
▪ Division over the state as provider
Threat and Opportunity
“We are witnessing the death of idealism and public spiritedness which
underpinned so much of the best architecture of the 20th century.
Society does not want buildings to survive as decaying monuments, but
to see them brought back into use so that they can make a positive
impact on the environment.
We do not need to demolish great architecture to allow room for
economic growth.”
Catherine Croft, 20th Century Society
Alois Riegl
The Modern Cult of
the Monument: Its
Character and Its
Origin
Distinction between
intentional and
unintentional
monuments
Alois Riegl
Contemporary Values
Use value
Relative Artistic Value
Memorial Values
Historical Value
Age-Value
The Value of Heritage
„There is perhaps no one thing, which the most Polite part of Mankind have
more universally agreed in; than the Vallue they have ever set upon the
Remains of distant times. Nor amongst the Severall kinds of those Antiquitys,
are they any so much regarded, as those of Buildings; Some for their
Magnificence, or curious workmanship; and other; as they move more lively
and pleasing Reflections (than History with their Aid can do) on the Persons
who have Inhabited them; On the remarkable things which have been
transacted in them, Or the extraordinary Occasions of Erecting them. “
Sir John Vanbrugh
(1664 – 1726)
▪ Communal
▪ Evidential
▪ Historical
▪ Aesthetic
The Value of Heritage
Heritage
▪ as overall societal concern essentially a child of 19th century Europe
▪ largely concentration on architectural conservation regarding antiquities and medieval
buildings
▪ early 20th century saw the first stirrings about urban conservation
▪ WW2 – awareness grew, first heritage legislation in the UK
▪ 1958 The Victorian Society
▪ 1979 The Thirties Society – 1992 The Twentieth Century Society
Milestone
Firestone Tyre Factory in
the London Borough of
Hounslow
1979
1980
Twentieth Century
Society:
First series case; it’s
destruction
“[...] focused public
attention on the necessity
for greater protection for
20th century buildings…”
Changing AttitudesChanging Attitudes?
This led directly to
the listing of 150
examples of inter-
war architecture and
then for post-war
architecture.
Gentrification
Keeling House
London
Dennis Lasdun
Listed 1993
Palast der Republik
Ideology:
Schlossplatz Berlin
The First – Stevenage
First to be built, first to be listed (Town Square Conservation Area Designation) in 1988
Heritage and Inclusion
2007 White Paper: Heritage Protection for the 21st century
Developing a unified approach to the historic
environment „Register of historic sites and buildings“ „
Historic Assets“
Maxximising opportunities for inclusion
and involvement
Supporting sustainable communities by putting the
historic environment at the heart of an effective
planning system
2008 Climate Change and the Historic Environment
HERITAGE
PROTECTION
FOR THE 21ST
CENTURY
Heritage and Community
Economically, environmentally, SOCIALLY
Heritage is most powerful when it is linked to a
sense of community, belonging and rootedness
Historic England
jlkdsjflkdjflk
Basildon
Contestation
Community/ wider society + the building professions
▪ Alexander Mitscherlich: “The inhospitality of our cities” (1965)
▪ Jane Jacobs: cities need layers
▪ Brutalist – misconception
▪ Communist/ Imperialist/ Internationalist/ Alian – defamation
▪ Charles Jencks: the Death of Modernism
▪ New Urbanism
▪ Jan Gehl – Urban Design Guru
Differentiation
▪ Historic England
▪ 20c Society
▪ TCPA
▪ International New Town Institute (INTI)
▪ New Towns Heritage Research Network
▪ Place Alliance
▪ The New Towns!
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Understands itself as part of
European Heritage Network
Heritage Register –
Statement of Significance
Public nomination process
for heritage (time limited)
City of new and different
voices
o pioneers vs next
generations
o Life by Masterplan – role
for heritage and culture
MK Design City
Harlow
Harlow
Frederick Gibberd’s Principles
– basis for heritage approach:
rivers and valleys
(environment)
Green wedges/ fingers
distinguish neighbourhoods
Promote segregated uses –
critical of permitted
development rights
Town Centre – separate
consideration from Local Plan
– public consultation
‘Garden Town’ Status
Peterborough
Peterborough
Tension between
‘proper’ old
heritage and NT
heritage - does
not identify as
NT
But NT in:
Digital Time Line
Archives
Education
Programme
Parkway Dreams
Theatre
Production
Pendrecht/
Rotterdam
Home
and
Neigh-
bourhood
Restora-
tion of
housing
Pendrecht/
Rotterdam
European Heritage Year 2018: Sharing Heritage
Our Heritage: where the past meets the future
Scholarship, citizenship and
collaboration
New nationalisms and the past
Expertise and academia in the
age of ‘post-truth’ politics
Conviction
New Towns are a key element of British and European
post–war history and therefore constitute an important
Heritage asset which needs to be analysed and
evaluated as part of the wider Heritage Discourse.
Conclusions
▪ Anniversary celebrations indicate that New Towns are aware and proud of their
history. They have prompted a debate to establish whether the post-war heritage will
be considered a necessary ingredient of NT city growth strategies.
▪ Elements of the Post-War NT heritage are recognised and valued by expert groups or
societies but often not more widely.
▪ NTs have common roots but wide range of NT histories makes generalisation difficult.
▪ NTs are under intense pressure to adapt to 21st century commerce, transport, social
and cultural changes which can easily diminish NT Heritage elements of design,
architecture and landscape.
▪ In this context valuation of heritage assets is at a very early stage.
Conclusions - cont…
▪ Heritage Evaluation has to include wider societal considerations
▪ Philosophically
▪ Practically
▪ Economically
▪ In many ways NTs authorities are ill-equipped to do this because of the fragmentation
of administrations, lack of design capacity, loss of income from NT assets, and lack of
public funding for maintenance of the NT estate.
▪ NTs have strong emphatic urban forms/ distinctive physical places, but there is
ambivalence about Modernist architecture and design.
▪ Heritage value is connected to local identity: there have significant alterations to NT
identity over time due to economic shifts and demographic changes.
Sabine Coady Schäbitz
Many thanks for your attention!
