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ABSTRACT
The successful conservation of our built heritage relies upon multi-scalar negotiation between a wide array of stakeholders and agents in the planning process. This negotiation reflects both the values that we ascribe to particular structures and landscapes, and choices about what to retain in response to social, commercial and aesthetic opportunities, preferences and aspirations. We are particularly interested in how redevelopment and regeneration processes often result in the removal of buildings from the recent past – Brutalist buildings from the 1960s, in particular – even though coalitions are built which seek their active protection and conservation. Using the case of Birmingham Central Library (demolished 2015–16) we explore how conservation of the most recent past challenges us – how can buildings of the recent past be deemed heritage, how can they be meaningfully conserved and how are different interests mediated? This paper seeks to uncover the conflicts inherent within the conservation of such buildings, drawing conclusions about the heritage-creation process.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1. Kain, Planning for Conservation, 2.
2. Tung, Preserving the World’s Great Cities, 3.
3. Heath et al., Public Places, 3.
4. While and Short, “Place Narrative and Heritage Management,” 4.
5. Pendlebury, Conservation in the Age of Consensus, 2.
6. While, “Modernism v Urban Renaissance,“ 2415.
7. For example: Hobson, Conservation and Planning; and While, The State and Controversial Demands of CBH.
8. Ashworth, “Conservation as Preservation or as Heritage,” 93.
9. SPAB, The SPAB Manifesto, 1.
10. Larkham, “Preservation, Conservation and Heritage,” 105.
11. Ashworth and Larkham, Building A New Heritage.
12. Cullingworth and Nadin, Town and Country Planning in the UK, 289.
13. Tewdwr-Jones, “Development Control and the Legitimacy of Planning Decisions,”
14. Strange and Whitney, “The Changing Roles and Purposes of Heritage in the UK.”
15. Murdoch, “Space Against Time,” 4.
16. Hobson, Conservation and Planning .
17. While, “Modernism v Urban Renaissance,” 2407.
18. Harwood, Space, Hope and Brutalism, 3.
19. Calder, Raw Concrete, 7.
20. Beanland and Meades, Concrete Concept, 7.
21. See for example: Harwood (2003).
22. Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
23. DCMS, Principles of Selection for Listed Buildings, 4.
24. Ibid., 5.
25. DCMS, 2018, 5.
26. Mynors and Hewitson, Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets, 66.
27. See note 5 above.
28. Ibid., 6.
29. Mynors and Hewitson, Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets, 67.
30. Ibid.
31. Cherry, “Listing Twentieth Century Buildings, “7.
32. Hubbard, “The Value of Conservation,” 369.
33. Powers, “Style or Substance,” 5.
34. See for example: Turnpenny, Cultural Heritage, an Ill-defined Concept; Goss, “The Built Environment and Social Theory.”
35. Tait and While, “Ontology and the Conservation of Built Heritage,” 726.
36. Ibid., 734.
37. Ibid., 722.
38. Larkham, “Preservation, Conservation and Heritage,” 108.
39. See note 35 above.
40. Larkham, “Preservation, Conservation and Heritage,” 115.
41. Delafons, Politics and Preservation, 177.
42. Ibid.
43. Saint, “Philosophical Principles of Modern Conservation,” 17.
44. Ibid., 21.
45. Larkham, “Preservation, Conservation and Heritage,” 109.
46. Parker and Long, “The Mistakes of the Past?” 40.
47. See note 6 above.
48. Glendinning, “The Conservation Movement,” 361.
49. Historic England, Heritage Counts, 14.
50. Smith, Uses of Heritage, 4.
51. While and Short, “Place Narrative and Heritage Management,” 2.
52. See for example While and Short, “Place narratives and heritage management,” 7.
53. Graham et al., A Geography of Heritage: Power, Culture and Economy, 3.
54. Hubbard, “The Value of Conservation,” 369.
55. While, The State and Controversial Demands of CBH, 649.
56. Harvey, The Limits to Capital, xiv.
57. Green, “Introduction,” 2.
58. See note 43 above.
59. Rapaport, The Meaning of the Built Environment, 37.
60. Greenville, “Conservation As Psychology,” 448.
61. See for example: Clawley, John Madin; and Foster, Pevsner Architectural Guides: Birmingham.
62. Clawley, John Madin.
63. CIPFA, “Norfolk Library is most popular in the UK.”
64. Larkham and Adams, “The Un-necessary Monument?” 100.
65. Bianconi and Tewdwr-Jones, “The Form and Organisation of Urban Areas,“ 314.
66. Historic England, The English Public Library 1945–85, 7.
67. Clawley, John Madin, 112.
68. DCMS, Principles of Selection for Listing Buildings, 4.
69. English Heritage, “Birmingham Central Library,” 3.
70. English Heritage, Constructive Conservation in Practice, 7.
71. Bansal D (2008), “The Rotunda, Birmingham,” 37.
73. Wright, please see https://c20society.org.uk/news/ministers-refusal-to-list-birmingham-central-library/.
74. Ibid.
75. Whitby, please see http://www.scribd.com/doc/3940170/Mike-Whitbys-Letter-to-DCMS-Re-Central-Library.
76. Merrick, please see http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/architecture/battle-to-save-britains-brutalist-buildings-from-the-bulldozer-1890905.html.
77. Birmingham City Council, UDP 2005, 15.6.
78. Birmingham City Council, Decision Notice.
79. Birmingham City Council, “Committee Report,” 6.28.
80. Interview A, 2010.
81. Ibid.
82. Interview B, 2010.
83. Interview A, 2010.
84.. Interview C, 2010.
85. Interview B, 2010.
86. Saint, “Philosophical Principles of Modern Conservation,” 18.
87. Interview B,, 2010.
88. Interview C, 2010.
89. Upton, “Architectural history or landscape history?” 196.
90. Interviews, 2010.
91. Larkham and Lilley, “Plans, Planners and City Images.”
92. Interviews 2010.
93. English Heritage, “Birmingham Central Library.”
94. BBC, “No listed status for main library.”
95. Bury, “Now that’s what Margaret Hodge calls architecture.”
96. Interview A, 2010.
97. Interview C, 2010.
98. Ibid.
99. Larkham and Adams, The Un-necessary Monument? 118.
100. Gick, please see http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theoneshow/onepassions/2008/09/birmingham-central-library-ugl.html.
101. Interview A, 2010.
102. Ibid.
103. See note 35 above.
104. Interview A, 2010.
105. Gick, “Architectural Bravery,” 19.
106. Saint, Philosophical Principles of Modern Conservation.
107. Interview D, 2010.
108. Interview C, 2010.
109. Glendinning, The Conservation Movement.
110. BBC, please see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/8374348.stm.
111. Interview D, 2010.
112. Interview C 2010.
113. Interview B, 2010.
114. Interview C, 2010.
115. Interview B, 2010.
116. Interview D, 2010.
117. Interviews, 2010.
118. See for example: Dolan, 2008; The Telegraph, 2008; BBC, 2008.
119. HRH Prince Charles, A Vision of Britain, 4.
121. See note 76 above.
122. See note 62 above.
123. Larkham and Adams, “The Un-necessary Monument?” 118.
124. Twentieth Century Society, see http://www.c20society.org.uk/about.html.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Matt Belcher
Matt Belcher is an interdisciplinary artist and creative director exploring new approaches - and responses - to interpretation and storytelling. After completing an MSc in Spatial Planning at The Bartlett School of Planning, UCL, he has worked with a number of orchestras, theatres, museums and festivals in creating projects that experiment with forms of presentation, perspectives and performance environments.
Michael Short
Michael Short is Senior Teaching Fellow in Planning and Urban Conservation at the Bartlett School of Planning, University College London. He is an urbanist and conservator interested in issues of design quality in the historic environment, undertaking practice-based projects, teaching and research in this area.
Mark Tewdwr-Jones
Mark Tewdwr-Jones is Professor of Town Planning at Newcastle University and an expert in urban and regional planning, historic and contemporary urban change, digital place engagement, and spatial governance.