INTBAU Member's Project Wins UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award
INTBAU Member Vikas Dilawari was delighted to share the news with us that UNESCO has given the top award of the 2012 Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards to Mbaru Niang in Indonesia.
Mbaru Niang, a village of traditional houses in Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia has been honoured with the Award of Excellence in the 2012 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
The two Awards of Distinction include the Sethna Buildings in Mumbai, India and the Water Systems in Hampi, India. The three Awards of Merit include the Zhizhusi Complex in Beijing, China; the Chandramauleshwat Temple in Hampi, India; and Khilingrong Mosque in Shigar, Pakistan. Two Honourable Mentions were also announced. They include the William Street Precinct in Perth, Australia and Jaisalmer Fort in Rajasthan, India.
The jury panel, consisting of international conservation experts, was particularly impressed with this year’s entry submissions. “The diversity of project types entered was encouraging, covering a broad spectrum of conservation issues, from urban streetscapes, military properties to archaeological sites. The Award of Excellence was given to Mbaru Niang, which represents a new kind of recognition for architectural conservation, whereby intangible heritage and traditional knowledge form the basis of the conservation method”, said Tim Curtis, Chair of the Jury and Chief of Culture Unit, UNESCO Bangkok.
The 2012 Jury Commendation for Innovation was awarded to the Reading Room of the Portuguese School of Macau in Macao (SAR) China. The Jury Commendation recognizes newly-built structures which demonstrate outstanding standards for contemporary architectural design which are well-integrated into historic contexts.
The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation recognizes the efforts of private individuals and organizations that have successfully restored and conserved structures and buildings of heritage value in the region. UNESCO believes that recognizing private efforts to restore and adapt historic properties will encourage other property owners to undertake conservation projects within the community, either independently or by seeking public-private partnerships.
A total of 43 entries, from 11 countries in the region, were submitted for consideration. The winners were selected based on the way that the projects reflected a clear understanding and application of the awards criteria, such as the articulation of the spirit of place, appropriate use or adaption, or the project’s contribution to the surrounding environment and the local community’s cultural and historical continuum.
Eligible projects must be more than 50 years old and the restoration must have been completed within the past 10 years. Buildings must have also been in viable use for at least one year from the date of the awards announcement.
The 2012 cycle of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation is supported by the Macau Foundation. UNESCO and the Macau Foundation share similar objectives in promoting, developing and nurturing the importance of our cultural heritage.
