RESTORATION OF CULTURAL ARTEFACTS
The picture above shows the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception . This church is very old and as meaning attached to it from numerous groups. This is a very old building and by the looks of it has age a whole lot and its showing. The building sits in the heart of Port of Spain among the changing architecture of the other buildings. This building is a religious building and thus there are strong values and meanings attached to the building. Thus this building is a cultural artefact and should be preserved as it represents great value to the community. In the picture above it is seen that there are renovations taking place on the building, therefore this cultural artefact being attempted to be restored as it is understood that this building is important within the urban space and that it represents part of the urban culture or identity of Port of Spain.
According to Tim Hall in Urban Geography religious buildings were in great demand in historical civilization and these buildings should be preserved as these have strong meanings attached to them. According to Aylin Orbasli in the book Architectural Conservation, conservation of historic buildings can promote national identity and also stimulate tourism. These historic buildings once regenerated add value to the cultural heritage of the city space and gives the urban space a sense of identity or individualism. These historic buildings are seen as artefacts among the ever changing city landscape.
Here are some sites highlighting the history of the building and shows restoration efforts in the attempt to save this historical building:
http://caribbean-beat.com/issue-112/saving-soul-city
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,129414.html
This site just shows some picture of the cathedral in its former glory:
http://english.cntv.cn/20120329/113765.shtml
Link showing restortion efforts elsewhere:
http://www.iarc.ie/exhibitions/previous-exhibitions/christ-church-restored-an-exhibition-marking-the-1870s-restoration-of-christ-church-cathedral-dublin/#&panel1-8
REFERENCES
Hall,Tim and Heather Barrett. Urban Geography. New York: Routledge, 2012. Print
Orbasli, Aylin. Architectural Conservation. United Kingdom: Blackwell Science Ltd, 2008. Print
I totally agree with your interpretation of historical artifacts such as churches. Landscapes and architecture are underestimated in their importance to society. Symbols play an important role in both public and individual identity. People sometimes attach their sense of place and identity to familiar landscapes and buildings.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your interpretation of historical artifacts such as churches. Landscapes and architecture are underestimated in their importance to society. Symbols play an important role in both public and individual identity. People sometimes attach their sense of place and identity to familiar landscapes and buildings.
ReplyDeleteAgree as well, I'm all for change and development but some places like these should be preserved. They also have value within the tourism industry as people come to visit these historical landmarks.
ReplyDeleteThis alludes back to your post on religion and culture. Any new insights that came from the different churches?
ReplyDelete