View No. 32 (2005): New Frames

What is the present status of modern heritage? From the Docomomo vantage point, it seems that both critical and theoretical perspectives are reaching a well-defined significance within the disciplines of architecture, urbanism, and preservation. Some extraordinary examples of good practice in restoration have identified the professional field with unprecedented authority. But we still need to develop the awareness that concepts such as 'modern' and 'heritage' are deeply rooted in Western mind frames and cultural approaches, which are however currently being questioned and redefined. Our new priority should now be to encompass the anthropological and sociological discourses within our understanding of modernity, which should allow heritage to include new dimensions, those of the intangible, of the spiritual, of the ordinary, of the vernacular, which are the essence of many other cultures worldwide.

Published: 2022-11-10