CONSERVING MODERNITY : URBAN CONTINUITY & THE VALUE OF MODERN HERITAGE

Abstract

A city can be read as layers of buildings and urban spaces built over time, each carrying its own cultural value. In every conservation object, the notion of its collective meaning forms the basis for its conservation. With the passage of time, old artefacts are replaced by new insertions as new meanings are found. The practice of conservation serves to manage this change in ways that will best sustain its heritage values while maintaining a sense of permanence and continuity. The current rapid rate of change threatens the existence of post-war buildings before their value is recognized. This dissertation sets out to ascertain the significance of this recent past, namely 20th century heritage, in the face of its opposing arguments and place it in historical perspective. In addition, this paper explores how these values are the characteristics which should give heritage significance for the conservation of Modern Heritage. By investigating the relevance of existing heritage values in assessing the significance of the place, the study will also call for an understanding of the role of modernity and its significance in the development of Singapore architecture. The dissertation takes the theoretical approach of rediscovering the meanings of our Modern Heritage and affirming their significance through their multiple readings when fore grounded against the larger urban, social and historical context.