The 2012 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation

Result

Mbaru Niang, a village of traditional houses in Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia has been honoured with the Award of Excellence in the 2012 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

The two Awards of Distinction include the Sethna Buildings in Mumbai, India and the Water Systems in Hampi, India.

The three Awards of Merit include the Zhizhusi Complex in Beijing, China; the Chandramauleshwar Temple in Hampi, India; and Khilingrong Mosque in Shigar, Pakistan.

Two Honourable Mentions were also announced. They include the William Street Precinct in Perth, Australia and Jaisalmer Fort in Rajasthan, India.

A total of 43 entries, from 11 countries in the region, were submitted for consideration. The conservation project entries include residential buildings, urban streetscapes, religious sites, institutional buildings, military properties, cultural landscapes, commercial buildings, bridges, industrial properties and archaeological sites.

The 2012 Jury Commendation for Innovation was awarded to the Reading Room of the Portuguese School of Macau in Macao SAR, China. The Jury Commendation recognizes newly-built structures which demonstrate outstanding standards for contemporary architectural design which are well-integrated into historic contexts.

Overview

The awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation recognize the achievement of the private sector and public-private initiatives in successfully conserving or restoring structures, places and properties of heritage value in the region.

Eligibility for the Awards
- To be considered for the Awards, the conserved or restored heritage structure, place or property must be over 50 years old. For settlements and landscapes, the essential historic elements must be more than 50 years old.
- The following are eligible for consideration: residential, commercial and institutional buildings; religious properties; urban and rural settlements/historic towns and villages; archaeological heritage; cultural landscapes, parks and gardens; military properties; modern heritage; agricultural, industrial and technological properties; burial monuments and sites; cultural routes; vernacular architecture; and symbolic properties and memorials.
- The project must be the result of private sector initiative or public-private partnership. The involvement of private individuals or organizations in terms of ownership, tenancy, financing or other contributions to the project should be clear. Projects which are financed, owned and undertaken wholly by government entities are not eligible.
- The work must have been completed within the preceding 10 years at the time of submission. For buildings with a new use, the project must also have been occupied or put to viable use for at least one year at the time of submission.
- Entries which have been previously submitted will not be eligible for resubmission unless invited to do so by the Jury, or unless substantial additional restoration has been carried out since the previous submission.

Jury
The Jury shall be composed of
- 1 representative from UNESCO
- 8-10 international conservation experts renowned for their knowledge of conservation in the Asia-Pacific region

Prize
Publication

Entry Fee
None

Entries
Description, Drawings, Photographs

Submission Address
Culture Unit
UNESCO Bangkok
920 Sukhumvit Road
Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Timetable
Winners will be announced in September 2012.

Links
Past winners

Organizer
UNESCO

Official Website
http://www.unescobkk.org/culture/wh/unesco-asia-pacific....