9-Nov-2018: 2018 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation
The renewal of the early 20th-century Shijo-cho Ofune-hoko Float Machiya has received the Award of Excellence in this year’s UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. Ten projects from five countries – Australia, China, India, Japan and Thailand – have been recognized by an international Jury of conservation experts in this year’s Awards. The Jury met in August in Penang, Malaysia to review 41 entries from eight countries across the Asia-Pacific region.
The Jury praised the Award of Excellence winner, the Shijo-cho Ofune-hoko Float Machiya, for “celebrating Kyoto culture through the safeguarding of the city’s endangered wooden townhouse typology as well as the iconic annual Gion Festival. The meticulously restored building today houses the Ofune-hoko float, itself resurrected after a 150-year hiatus to regain its place of pride in the annual ritual parade. The project sets a model for its seamless approach to safeguarding built heritage intertwined with intangible cultural heritage in a mutually enriching way.”
Other Awardees include:
Award of Distinction:
The LAMO Centre, Ladakh, India
Award of Merit:
5 Martin Place, Sydney, Australia.
Aijing Zhuang, Fujian, China.
Old Warehouse of the Commercial Bank of Honjo, Saitama, Japan.
Honourable Mention:
Hengdaohezi Town, Heilongjiang, China.
Rajabai Clock Tower & University of Mumbai Library Building, Mumbai, India.
Ruttonsee Muljee Jetha Fountain, Mumbai, India.
New Design in Heritage Contexts:
Kaomai Estate 1955, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
The Harts Mill, Port Adelaide, Australia.
The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation programme recognizes the efforts of private individuals and organizations that have successfully conserved structures and buildings of heritage value in the region. The Awards aim to encourage other property owners to undertake conservation projects within their communities, either independently or by seeking public-private partnerships. Awarded projects reflect a clear understanding and application of various criteria, such as the understanding of the place, technical achievement, and the project’s social and policy impact.
1-Nov-2017: Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam bags an award of merit from UNESCO
The Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam has bagged an award of merit from UNESCO for protecting and conserving cultural heritage, thus becoming the first temple from Tamil Nadu to grab the prestigious honour from the UN body.
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is the only religious centre in the whole of South India to bag the award in 2017. The famous Christ Church in Mumbai and Royal Bombay Opera House are the other historic Indian monuments that received the Award of Merit this year, in addition to the temple. The temple was lauded by the international body for undertaking renovation and beautification work worth over Rs 20 crore without harming its centuries-old heritage.
Launched in 2000, UNESCO Asia-Pacific awards for cultural heritage conservation programme is aimed at acknowledging the efforts taken to restore and conserve historical structures without affecting their heritage value in the region comprising 48 countries.
The awards are classified under four categories — Award of Excellence, Awards of Distinction, Awards of Merit and Award for New Design in Heritage Context. They are being given to encourage the efforts of all stakeholders and the public in conserving and promoting monuments and religious institutes with rich heritage in the Asia-Pacific region.