A total of 14 projects from 10 countries, including Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, New Zealand and Thailand, have been recognized in this year’s UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, according to UNESCO office in Bangkok (unescobkk.org).
A panel of international conservation experts met in June to review 46 entries from across the Asia-Pacific region.
“Although there was no Award of Excellence given this year there was an overall increase in projects awarded which gives hope for a general rise in the standards of heritage conservation by non-state actors within the Asia-Pacific region,” said Tim Curtis, Chair of the Jury and Chief of the Culture Unit, UNESCO Bangkok.
The restoration of the Saryazd Citadel, Yazd, in central Iran has been honored with an Award of Distinction.
The award recognized the commitment made by private sector partnerships to protect a unique historic desert complex, while providing significant socio-economic benefits for the local community through renewed employment opportunities. Other Awardees included:
Awards of Merit:
- Exeter Farm, Glenwood, New South Wales, Australia
- Shri Sakhargad Niwasini Devi Temple Complex, Kinhai Village, Maharashtra, India
- Frankton Boatshed, Queenstown, New Zealand
- Wak Hai Cheng Bio, Singapore
- Phraya Si Thammathirat Residence, Bangkok, Thailand
Honorable Mentions:
- Shahzada Hussain Mausoleum, Karez Village, Helmand Province, Afghanistan
- Cape Inscription Lighthouse Keepers’ Quarters, Shark Bay, Western Australia, Australia
- Rottnest Island World War II Coastal Defences, Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia
- Nanjing Yihe Mansions, Jiangsu Province, China
- Esplanade House, Mumbai, India
- De Driekleur, Bandung, Indonesia
- Gali Surjan Singh, Lahore, Pakistan
Jury Commendation for Innovation:
- Lucky Shophouse, Singapore
The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation program recognizes the efforts of private individuals and organizations that have successfully restored and conserved structures and buildings of heritage value in the region.
By recognizing private efforts to restore and adapt historic properties the awards aim to encourage other property owners to undertake conservation projects within their communities, either independently or by seeking public-private partnerships.
The winners were selected based on how the projects reflected a clear understanding and application of various criteria, such as the articulation of the spirit of place, technical achievement, appropriate use or adaption, and the project’s contribution to the surrounding environment as well as the local community’s cultural and historical continuity.
Eligible projects must be more than 50 years old and the restoration must have been completed within the past 10 years. Buildings with a new use must have also been in viable use for at least one year from the date of the awards announcement.
