50 C O N T E X T 1 1 1 : S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 9 Conference report: AHSS and DoCoMoMo International The heroic age of urban conservation The 2009 national conference of the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (AHSS), held in May jointly with DoCoMoMo International1, focused on the turning point in the 1960s and 70s in western Europe and North America between the comprehensive redevelopment of historic cities according to the modernist mantra of clearance and functional separation, and the emergence of urban conservation as we understand it today. Hosted by Edinburgh College of Art’s Scottish Centre for Conservation Studies, and supported by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland and Architecture and Design Scotland, the conference had the theme of ‘Mirror of Modernity: the post-war revolution in urban conservation’. It sought to temper the traditional perception that conservation and the modern movement were intrinsically hostile and mutually exclusive, and to draw out aspects of their common ground. Miles Glendinning, director of the centre, highlighted in his introductory address that the convergence between the two strands was implicit in the established convention that the heritage movement was in a continuous state of chronological expansion. Thus, especially since the 1980s, the heritage value of post-war modernist architecture had been recognised through the listing process, and increasing research and publication at all levels up to the vital international work of DoCoMoMo. This expansion had, in turn, revived inherent contradictions between traditional conservation values and the present-versus-past nature of much modernist architecture.Whereas the conservation of historic buildings in urban environments had acquired a critical mass which, by the 1970s, placed urban conservation in an ascendant position, that balance was again threatened by the rise of a new kind of aggressive modernism: iconic and signature architecture that begged to be considered as the heritage of the future even before it was built. Has contemporary architecture hijacked the heritage movement or is it simply playing it at its own game? Part of the answer was provided in the overview of international conservation charters researched by Ruxandra-Iulia Stoica, teacher in heritage conservation and architectural history at the College of Art and the University of Edinburgh. The seminal document of the modern movement, the 1933 Charter of Athens, and the key doctrinal document of international conservation, the 1964 Venice Charter, coincided in their insistence that old and new must be clearly distinguished. That philosophy has long been cited to support contrasting modernist interventions in historic urban settings. A notable manifestation of this in the conference’s host city, referred to by several of the speakers, was the University of Edinburgh’s substantive post-war redevelopment of the 18th century George Square. Opposition to this triggered the formation of the Scottish Georgian Society (forerunner of the AHSS) in 1956. At this critical period in the emergence of urban conservation, it is symbolic that Sir Robert Matthew was a key player both as architect to the university and, from the late-1960s, in the rescue of the NewTown. The opening day of the conference saw presentations on the post-war rebuilding of Warsaw, and debate as to whether it represented an authentic reconstruction or a Disney-related operation; the 1962 Loi Malraux (Malraux Law), and the policies of integrated urban conservation in France that directly influenced subsequent actions in Edinburgh; and the socialist-inspired urban conservation programme for the city of Bologna, initiated in 1969. John Pendlebury, head of the school of architecture, planning and landscape, University of Newcastle, spoke eloquently of the post-war ‘heroic struggle’ for urban conservation over progressive, technocratic planning in England. The second day focused on Scotland. John Gerrard, formerly its technical director, spoke of the pioneering role of the Scottish Civic Trust and how the amenity movement targeted its efforts. ‘The problem was planning; the solution was planning,’ he said. Desmond Hodges, founding director of the Edinburgh NewTown Conservation Committee, reinforced by architectresident John Knight, highlighted how political will, professional expertise and grassroots engagement saved the NewTown from the creeping decay of the immediate post-war years. Jim Johnson, formerly director of the Edinburgh Old Town Renewal Trust, recounted the historical evolution of improvement schemes and conservative surgery from the late 19th century onwards. He cited the involvement of, among others, Sir Patrick Geddes and his son-in-law Sir Frank Mears, and summarised the manifold programmes of housing rehabilitation and commercial recovery that coalesced from the 1970s onwards. Echoing concerns that had been expressed internationally by the UNESCOWorld Heritage Committee, Johnson concluded with a passionate appeal for the conservation gains of the late 20th century to be safeguarded against the aggressive architect- and developer-led modernism of today. The conference served as a platform for players in the heroic age of conservation to debate continuing tensions between conservationists and modernism. The AHSS plans a volume of proceedings. Dennis Rodwell, consultant in cultural heritage and sustainable urban development Reference 1 DoCoMoMo International is the International Working Party for Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighbourhoods of the Modern Movement. Warsaw market square
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