Heritage Restructured
‘Heritage Restructured’ aims to critically examine the current UK heritage management system by proposing a new framework that emphasizes the recognition of ‘intangible’ heritage and empowers communities to make decisions about heritage assets within their territory.
UK heritage management is currently handled by centralised government and lacks community input in decisions that impact local heritage. To address this. Carlisle Civic Centre will now serve as a hub for managing heritage assets across Cumbria. The building supports this new framework by providing spaces that provoke discussions about heritage management and housing a debating chamber within which heritage decisions are made by a representative jury of citizens. The archive housed within the 11-storey tower of the Civic Centre plays an essential role in this system by preserving artefacts from buildings slated for demolition, thereby maintaining cultural identity whilst also allowing the social and economic progress of Cumbria.
Built in 1964 and designed by Charles B Pearson, Son and Partners, Carlisle Civic Centre stands as a modernist landmark in the city. Major flood events in 2005 and 2015 caused significance damage to the building, leading to the demolition of the Rotunda and unsympathetic interior alterations. An assessment of significance was conducted to identify key architectural features for conservation when considering its adaptation. When approaching the reuse of the building, a ‘Genius Loci’ approach was implemented which focuses on preserving the spirit of the place rather than all objective values. This approach, informed by the assessment of significance, guides decisions on what to retain, what to enhance, and what to let go.
