Contemporary Architecture in the Historic Environment

There are varying views on what constitutes appropriate new development within a historic context. Some argue that new architectural insertions should represent a continuum of building traditions and replicate the surrounding historic environment, while others advocate for the juxtaposition of new and old, with the new reflecting contemporary expression through different forms, styles, materials, and/or technologies. Between these two extremes are design responses that respect traditional architectural forms and hierarchies but are expressed using a contemporary architectural language.

The 20th century brought rapid transformation to the urban landscape. The pace of change continues to increase in the 21st century and, with it, so have threats to the conservation of historic environments. Urban areas face development pressures to accommodate unparalleled population growth and new economic pressures. Modernism, the leading architectural force of the 20th century, broke with traditional architectural and planning approaches, utilizing forms and materials that often contrasted with the existing historic environment. More recently, in response to economic pressures, civic leaders have promoted their cities by creating new landmarks, often turning to celebrity architects to create provocative designs that strive for individual attention, overshadowing traditional civic landmarks such as city halls and cathedrals.

The insertion of these attention-grabbing contemporary architectural designs often poses a greater threat to historic environments than earlier interventions. The World Heritage Centre recognized this in the early 2000s, when they nominated a number of sites to the List of World Heritage in Danger. The call for action by the World Heritage Committee to address this issue resulted in the 2005 conference in Vienna entitled "World Heritage and Contemporary Architecture: Managing the Historic Urban Landscape," the outcome of which was the Vienna Memorandum, which proposes an integrated approach to the sustainable conservation of historic cities, linking contemporary architecture, sustainable urban development, and landscape integrity to the historic urban context.

This, among other issues, led to UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape in 2012, calling for the development of new planning tools such as heritage, social, and environmental impact assessments, and regulatory systems to help protect the integrity and authenticity of urban heritage.

Former team members: Sara Galerne; Randi Kilzer; Mesut Dinler, Getty Graduate Intern (2013–2014); Ana Paula Arato Gonçalves, Getty Graduate Intern (2011–2012); Laura Matarese, Getty Graduate Intern (2014–2015); Luise Rellensmann, Getty Graduate Intern (2012–2013)