Conservation Technical Handbook:
About This Series
Since the 1970s, when historic monuments were first granted legal protection and the first shophouses were rehabilitated, architectural conservation has evolved and taken root in Singapore. Heritage buildings form a significant part of our urban landscape today, as brick-and-mortar repositories of memories straddling generations and as treasured focal points for diverse communities. In the early days, the main challenge was overcoming the prevailing perception of these historic buildings as crumbling, unsanitary and inefficient structures worthy only of demolition (though in need of rehabilitation, they are embodiments of artisanship, history, and urban character). Another uphill battle was the polarized view that conservation is a zero-sum game in terms of economic growth and urban development (it is an indispensable component in all creative, dynamic, well-loved, liveable and competitive cities). With growing appreciation and awareness of heritage, many have since come around to the idea that conservation is not about fighting change but about how it is managed. Across the city, historic neighbourhoods have found a new lease of life as places to live, work and play, and a growing number of national monuments have been carefully restored in recent years. While much progress has been made and lessons learned in the past four decades, there is still much room for improvement in skills and knowledge of best conservation practices. This guide is intended to help bridge this gap by laying out the ways to identify and appreciate heritage attributes, understand historic materials and assess their condition, as well as the methods and principles of restoration and long-term maintenance.
The introductory volume touches on key historic building types and materials found in Singapore, and gives an overview of common deterioration phenomena as well as assessment and restoration approaches. There is a summary of the local regulatory context and different categories of conservation gazetting. A brief look at the key international heritage charters and principles provides reference for how conservation thinking and ideals have evolved and matured on the worldwide professional platform. Finally, a handy glossary of common terms is included to dissect and clarify concepts such as ‘reinstatement’ (for specific missing elements) or ‘adaptive reuse’ (where the building is remodeled to accommodate new functions). Subsequent volumes go into different aspects of a heritage building, such as the roof, façade, structure, doors and windows, interiors, services, and building coatings. Built heritage can be seen as a public good, and every stakeholder – including the owner, developer, authority, building professional, builder and user – serves as a custodian of these precious assets. There is shared responsibility to safeguard each historic structure and ensure its safe passage onwards to the next generation. This series is conceived to provide guidance along the way.
Tangu miaka ya 1970, wakati makumbusho ya kihistoria yalipewa ulinzi wa kisheria na nyumba za kwanza za maduka ziliporudishwa, uhifadhi wa usanifu umebadilika na kuanzishwa nchini Singapore. Majengo ya urithi ni sehemu muhimu ya mandhari yetu ya mijini leo, kama makumbusho ya matofali na chokaa ya kumbukumbu ya vizazi na kama vituo vya thamani kwa jamii mbalimbali. Katika siku za mwanzo, changamoto kuu ilikuwa kushinda maoni ya kawaida ya majengo haya ya kihistoria kama majengo ya kuporomoka, yasiyo ya usafi na yasiyofaa ambayo yanastahili kuharibiwa tu (ingawa yanahitaji ukarabati, ni maonyesho ya ufundi, historia, na tabia ya mijini). "Mtazamo wa polarized kwamba uhifadhi ni ""mchezo wa zero-sum"" katika suala la ukuaji wa kiuchumi na maendeleo ya mijini (ni sehemu muhimu katika miji yote ya ubunifu, nguvu, well-liked, liveable na ushindani)." Kwa sababu ya utambuzi na ufahamu unaoongezeka wa urithi, wengi wamekuja kwa wazo kwamba uhifadhi si juu ya kupambana na mabadiliko lakini juu ya jinsi inasimamiwa. Katika jiji lote, vitongoji vya kihistoria vimepata maisha mapya kama maeneo ya kuishi, kufanya kazi na kucheza, na idadi inayoongezeka ya makaburi ya kitaifa yamerekebishwa kwa uangalifu katika miaka ya hivi karibuni. Ingawa maendeleo mengi yamefanywa na masomo yaliyojifunza katika miongo minne iliyopita, bado kuna nafasi kubwa ya kuboresha ujuzi na maarifa ya mazoea bora ya uhifadhi. Mwongozo huu unakusudiwa kusaidia kuziba pengo hili kwa kuweka njia za kutambua na kuthamini sifa za urithi, kuelewa vifaa vya kihistoria na kutathmini hali yao, pamoja na mbinu na kanuni za ukarabati na matengenezo ya muda mrefu. Kitabu cha utangulizi kinagusa aina muhimu za majengo ya kihistoria na vifaa vilivyopatikana Singapore, na hutoa muhtasari wa matukio ya kawaida ya uharibifu pamoja na mbinu za tathmini na ukarabati. Kuna muhtasari wa mazingira ya kisheria ya ndani na makundi tofauti ya kuchunguza gazetting. Angalia kwa ufupi mikataba na kanuni muhimu za urithi wa kimataifa hutoa kumbukumbu ya jinsi mawazo na maadili ya uhifadhi yamebadilika na kukomaa kwenye jukwaa la kitaaluma la ulimwengu. Hatimaye, glossary rahisi ya maneno ya kawaida ni pamoja na dissect na kufafanua dhana kama vile "kuweka tena" (kwa vipengele maalum kukosa) au "adaptive reuse" (ambapo jengo ni remodeled ili kukaribisha kazi mpya). Machapisho ya baadaye yanazungumzia mambo mbalimbali ya jengo la urithi, kama vile paa, uso, muundo, milango na madirisha, mambo ya ndani, huduma, na mipako ya jengo. Urithi uliojengwa unaweza kuonekana kama faida ya umma, na kila mwenzake - ikiwa ni pamoja na mmiliki, msanidi programu, mamlaka, mtaalamu wa ujenzi, mjenzi na mtumiaji - hutumika kama mlinzi wa mali hizi za thamani. Kuna jukumu la pamoja la kulinda kila muundo wa kihistoria na kuhakikisha kupitishwa kwake salama kwa kizazi kijacho. Mfululizo huu umekusudiwa kutoa mwongozo njiani.