UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation
UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation
The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation have been established to recognize the achievement of individuals and organizations within the private sector, and the public-private initiatives, in successfully restoring structures of heritage value in the region.
This project advances UNESCO’s global strategic objective of “promoting the drafting and implementation of standard setting instruments in the field of culture”. Within this global framework, it builds on the regional pillar of “localization and empowerment of the culture profession to develop and implement standards”.
UNESCO's mandate is to promote the stewardship of the world's cultural resources, including the built heritage which constitutes our collective cultural memory, and the foundation upon which communities can construct their future. In Asia and the Pacific, UNESCO supports conservation activists at all levels, and particularly seeks to encourage the role of the private sector in preserving the region's cultural heritage.
Since 2000, UNESCO has received 359 entries from 23 territories, spanning a wide range of conservation projects from private residences to palace complexes. Many of the entries have set technical and social benchmarks for conservation in the region, while acting as catalysts for local preservation activity. Over the years, the projects illustrate the increasing momentum and level of conservation in Asia and the Pacific.
In 2005, UNESCO launched the Heritage Awards Jury Commendation for Innovation. The Jury Commendation recognizes newly-built structures which demonstrate outstanding standards for contemporary architectural design which are well integrated into historic contexts.
News
Jury Meets to Select the 2010 UNESCO Heritage Awards
A total of 33 entries have been received for the 2010 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation, the eleventh cycle of the Awards programme. The jury will meet on 9-11 August 2010 to select this year’s winners at UNESCO Bangkok in Thailand.
An Award of Excellence will be given to the project selected as representing the most excellent achievement in the restoration of an historic structure, followed by Awards of Distinction, Awards of Merit and Honourable Mentions. Winning projects will be announced in September 2010.
Out of 33 projects, 30 have been submitted for the Heritage Conservation Awards programme. Three projects have been submitted for the Jury Commendation for Innovation category, which recognizes new structures built in historic contexts. The submissions are from 14 countries: Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. More information about each of the projects can be found here.
The 11-member 2010 UNESCO Heritage Awards jury comprises Mr Arash Boostani, Dr Tim Curtis, Dr William Chapman, Dr Richard Engelhardt, Dr Nobuko Inaba, Dr Pinraj Khanjanusthiti, Dr Spencer Leineweber, Mr Laurence Loh, Dr Que Weimin, Ms Gurmeet Rai, and Dr Johannes Widodo.
Call for Entries: 2010 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation
Entries are now being accepted for the 2010 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation. The deadline for receipt of materials is 15 April 2010. In addition to the established awards, the “Jury Commendation for Innovation”, introduced in 2005, will also be judged. The Jury Commendation for Innovation recognizes newly-built structures which demonstrate outstanding standards for contemporary architectural design which are well integrated into historic contexts. For more information, please see the press release.
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Thai Prime Minister accepts 2009 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award on behalf of Suphanburi community
11 December 2009
UNESCO Bangkok recognizes the outstanding restoration of the Samchuk Community and Old Market District in Suphanburi with the presentation of an award to Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on 11 December 2009 in the Old Market District.
The conservation of this significant heritage community receives an Award of Merit in the 2009 annual UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards.
Dr. Molly Lee, Director a.i. of UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, presents an award plaque to Mr. Abhisit. Certificates of Recognition are also presented to project team members, including academics, scholars, students and the Samchuk Community Commmittee.
Winners Announced for the 2009 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards
Sangiin Dalai Monastery in South Gobi Aimaq, Republic of Mongolia has been honoured with the Award of Excellence in the 2009 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation.
A total of 48 entries, from 14 countries in the region, were submitted for consideration. The conservation project entries include hotels, offices, cultural institutions, educational institutions, religious sites, public institutions, residential buildings and urban districts.
The three Awards of Distinction went to the M24 Midget Submarine Wreck in Sydney, Australia; the Ali Gohar House in Hunza, Pakistan and Hanok Regeneration in Bukchon in Seoul, Republic of Korea.
The four Awards of Merit include the Huai Hai Lu 796 in Shanghai, China; the YMCA Students Branch in Mumbai, India; the Waterworks Building in Auckland, New Zealand and the Samchuk Community and Old Market District in Suphanburi, Thailand.
Four Honourable Mentions were also announced. They are the Academy of Visual Arts (Former Royal Air Force Officers’ Mess) at Hong Kong Baptist University in Hong Kong SAR, China; the Heritage Buildings in Cicheng Historic Town in Zhejiang Province, China; the YWCA Lady Willingdon Hostel in Mumbai, India and the Tang Family Chapel in Hoi An, Viet Nam.
The 2009 Heritage Awards Jury Commendation for Innovation was awarded to the Maosi Ecological Demonstration Primary School (China). The Jury Commendation recognizes newly-built structures which demonstrate outstanding standards for contemporary architectural design which are well integrated into historic contexts. The 2009 Jury Commendation submissions include four projects (an educational institution, a mausoleum, an urban district and a residential development) from three countries in the region.
For the press release about the 2009 UNESCO Heritage Awards winners, please click here.
For more information about the 2009 UNESCO Heritage Awards winners, please click here.
Heritage Awards Thai winners featured at ASA exhibit
29 June 2009
The Association of Siamese Architects Under Royal Patronage (ASA) organized an exhibition “Old and New” on conservation of historic architecture and places, and new buildings in the old settlement held from 23 June - 24 July 2009 at ASA Centre, 5th Floor of Siam Discovery, Bangkok.
The opening ceremony of the exhibition and seminar "Edible Conservation" on 28 June 2009 featured Heritage Awards Thai winners where the discussion led to broader knowledge for a wider audience about conservation and how conservation can be related to our daily life.
The Getty Conservation Institute Presents a Conservation Matters Lecture: "Conservation of the Ahichhatragarh-NagaurFort in India," 2002 Heritage Awards Winner.
The Getty Conservation Institute organized a Conservation Matters lecture, "Conservation of the Ahichhatragarh-Nagaur Fort in India," on Thursday19 March 2009 at 7:00 p.m.
Minakshi Jain, architect and director for the conservation of the Ahichhatragarh-Nagaur Fort in northwest India, winner of the Award of Excellence for 2002 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation, has explained how the previously dilapidated fort became a model for the conservation of historic sites.
For more information about the Getty Conservation Institute, click here.
Sites worth saving
8 February 2009
The Crown Property Bureau paves the way and sets the standard for restoring buildings with historic value.
Next to the Bang Pakong river in Chachoengsao province is the former Prachin Buri precinct governor's office. Last year, the restoration of this English-style neo-classical single-storey building received an honourable mention at the annual UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards. And for very good reason.
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Asia Conserved
UNESCO Bangkok has published Asia Conserved: Lessons Learned from the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation 2000-2004.
The book has been made possible with the support of the Lord Wilson Heritage Trust, with contributions from UNESCO Beijing, UNESCO Islamabad, UNESCO Jakarta and UNESCO Phnom Penh.
For more information about the book, please click here.