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Volume 10.2

LIVING IN A WORLD HERITAGE SITE: PRESERVATION POLICIES AND LOCAL HISTORY IN OURO PRETO, BRAZIL
Leonardo Castriota
This article describes conflicts between state preservation policies and the needs the local population in the city of Ouro Preto, Brazil. Former capital of the wealthy gold mining state of Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto is today one of Brazil’s most significant historic sites. Having been preserved nearly intact following the decline in gold mining during the nineteenth century, the city was rediscovered in the 1920s by modernist intellectuals seeking a representation of national identity, and in the years that followed a new federal preservation agency initiated efforts to homogenize its image. Beginning in the 1960s, however, modernization pressures led to antagonism between the preservation agency and the local population. A new industrial boom brought Ouro Preto renewed growth, a demand for more buildings in the historic area, and the rapid and disorderly occupation of its surrounding hills. More recently, as industrial activity has slumped, both the government and local population have identified tourism as the city’s most important economic alternative. Historic and present-day conflicts are illustrated through examination of an important public space, the Largo do Coimbra.

“A TRADITION IN TRANSITION: ALI TUR IN GUADELOUPE, 1929-1937” by Christian Galpin and Anne Hublin

Following the great hurricane of 1928 the architect Ali Tur was commissioned by the Ministry of Colonies to rebuild the government buildings on the island of Guadeloupe in the French West Indies. Within eight years he designed some one hundred edifices. Ali Tur’s architectural manner was everything but traditional. Born in Tunisia to French parents, he had been influenced by Orientalism. His architecture also introduced reinforced concrete and responded genuinely to the risk of hurricanes and the need for bioclimatic adaptation on the island. Paradoxically, this exogenous production is now considered a part of the Guadeloupean heritage. Ali Tur’s style may now stand for a creative alternative to current design ideology in an environment in transition.

“GENTRIFICATION AND THE POLITICS OF POWER, CAPITAL AND CULTURE IN AN EMERGING JORDANIAN HERITAGE INDUSTRY” by Rami Farouk Daher

This article presents an epistemology of the heritage industry in Jordan and an investigation of the dynamics of gentrification as a potential outcome of conservation projects. It argues that heritage conservation should not be approached only as a means for capital accumulation; nor should it be confined to the commodification of historical and cultural environments. Rather, heritage conservation should be seen as a complex activity aimed at fostering cultural continuity and genuine community development and participation. If heritage tourism is going to be endorsed as a major component of a national economy, a dynamic and balanced interaction should be maintained between cultural heritage, host communities, and tourist-industry investments.

“A SPIRITUAL CELEBRATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE” by Katharine E. Leigh and Abimbola Asojo

This article examines the architecture of contemporary Native American, African, and African American sacred places as a manifestation of culture and tradition. Tribal and urban minority groups in the U.S. are currently engaged in a struggle to create new identities that demonstrate their cultural heritage and role in society. Through case-study analysis, ancient forms of sacred places are compared to the elements of contemporary cultural and spiritual spaces. The article explores, in particular, how reinterpretations of the meaning of traditional forms, materials, ceremonial artifacts, and design and planning processes have been used to help forge modern identity.

“WHEN TRADITION BECOMES LUXURY: AGRICULTURE, ARCHITECTURE AND TOURISM IN SYMBIOSIS” by Rosemary Latter

This report discusses a wealthy society where traditional buildings are important both as a way of sustaining local cultural identity and attracting tourists. It examines how and for what motives such structures can be cherished in the context of the village of Les Diablerets in the Swiss Alps. While sustaining an original settlement and its customs, the village also plays host to a strong tourist industry in the form of a winter ski resort and a summer outdoor-pursuits location. The report discusses how the people of this mountain region reconcile the differing effects of agriculture and tourism on their culture and environment. The high status of, and affection for, local vernacular architecture in Les Diablerets may be compared with trends and attitudes in some developing countries, where traditional principles have been shed in favor of presenting a modern image to the global market.