I'm interested in what members think about the increasing numbers of tall building proposals and attempts to ascertain how they impact on the built heritage:

does it matter?
how do they impact on the built heritage specifically?
can impacts be mitigated?

Any thoughts would be useful. I'm doing a doctorate in the subject at University of Manchester.

I'm not sure if I get the question exactly.

Can you elaborate what you mean by "built heritage?" Do you mean the existing buildings in the neighborhood nearby which the tall buildings proposals will rise?

what is this doctorate in?

Many cities have gone through this. My city - Riga - too.
I think - if you would get access to UNESCO World Heritage documentation, you can investigate how this process has been on-going in several cities with valuable architectural heritage. You can investigate such cases as Wien, Koln, and Riga too.

As always, the impact can be mitigated (and turned into positive effect) by good urban planning, it requires coordinated work of municipal (even state) politicians,
urban experts, architects.

But don't expect forumers to answer your wide questions, you should write your doctor theses yourself ;)

my opinion is... it doesnt matter aslong as highrises arent built in midst of old architecture in Tallinn people are yelling that highrises ruin Old town, complete BOLLOX... tourist numbers are up and all i can hear from the tourists is how nice the highrises area from the viewingplatforms of the Old town!

If a city has a historical centre or lots of historical buildings in general I find it better if most of the highrises are built in a cluster such as in Paris (la defence) or London (canary wharf). For me, this doesn't distract the attention from historical areas very much. The worst thing is if skyscrapers dotted in random places across a historical city. First of all it looks ugly as a skyline and also lots of historical places will be ruined by having a looming skyscraper directly next to it.

I don't really have much concern about this, it is not the height of the building or anything like that which upsets the heritage, but the execution. In order to keep up with the times, and to remain economically and environmentally sustainable, building by heritage sites would prove to be inevitable.

So how can this be achieved properly? Simple, sensitive authorities, planners and architects.

Singapore is such a place imo

you can see the entire heritage district on the bottom left.
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/4302/nice0ji.jpg

So how can this be achieved properly? Simple, sensitive authorities, planners and architects.


How can you forget the all most important client, the paymaster? You can have all the right policies and the most experienced and talented people working on the team but if the client doesn't get educated, its not going anywhere.

How can you forget the all most important client, the paymaster? You can have all the right policies and the most experienced and talented people working on the team but if the client doesn't get educated, its not going anywhere.

The world is so cruel.:(

Here in Singapore, most of the protected buildings here are shophouses. These buildings are unique to South East Asia and have very unique styles. Many of them had been integrated into numerous projects here, some being part of highrise developments.

Selegie Road
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/7624/s7xc.jpg
This is an example of new integrated with old. A new tower rising behind a row of shophouses.

MacKenzie Road
http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/1761/mke4kv.jpg
Here's another example. A condo project integrated with shophouses. MacKenzie Road.
http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/3784/mke15rc.jpg
^Preserved buildings

In the cases above, the rear of the buildings, which is normally the courtyards and bathroom areas are demolished. The construction site is accessed by the alleys.

Geylang Heritage
http://img158.exs.cx/img158/2136/geyrhc26fj.jpg
This is a condo called Geylang Heritage. It consists of a highrise condo development integrated into a row of heritage rowhouses. Rowhouses are purely residential, and have a front courtyard.

I agree, Singapore has done a pretty good job of balancing the need for development and the need to protect it's built heritage. Some mistakes were made in the past whereby Singapore demolished many of it's shophouses but a very large number still remain and they are all being preserved. Areas like Chinatown, Little India and Arab Street are wonderful examples of Singapore's heritage and are pretty well preserved. Other areas of shophouses have been refurbished and new uses introduced as well like Boat Quay and Clarke Quay. The scheme at Clarke Quay in particular is of a very high standard and creates a brilliant restaurant/bar area for the city.

Shophouses' original usage is business on the 1st floor and residential or storage facility on the other floors. Some were slums back in the 1960s.

Those along Singapore River were mainly industrial, being used as warehouses and occupied by trading businesses.


Preservation of shophouses started in the 1980s. Since then, most of them had been restored. They've been turned into offices, condominiums, private houses, hotels, shopping gallerys, bars, clubs, restaurants, arts centres, museums and much more.

They are very adaptable and flexible in usage. :cool:

I'm not sure if I get the question exactly.

Can you elaborate what you mean by "built heritage?" Do you mean the existing buildings in the neighborhood nearby which the tall buildings proposals will rise?

Built heritage means heritage buildings and structures. :)

can impacts be mitigated?

Any thoughts would be useful.

One method of preserving the historical ambience along the street level could be to preserve the frontages of low-rise, heritage buildings. The taller buildings would only be allowed deeper in to minimise their impact and view from the street.

An example:

Preserved Art Deco

http://www.pbase.com/image/46352820.jpg

Getting OVER your problem.

http://tinypic.com/9sa1qw.jpg
http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/6431/cairn01095kf.jpg

Imho Singapore is doing an excellent (and very sensitive) job in minimizing the impacts of tall, modern buildings on its built heritage. :okay:

Btw, Michael popped this question out to us on August 24 & hasn't been back to see the forumers' comments since. :D

RC, where's this?
http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/6431/cairn01095kf.jpg

42 Cairnhill Road, the former residence of philantrophist Tan Kah Kee. :)

At times the confrontation of old and new can be quite exciting, it depends on the situation, especially giving enough room to the old building is quite important in the way this urban mix is being appreciated. Here's a few examples in my place:

http://207.44.228.232/images/B03/3936.jpg

http://207.44.228.232/images/B03/3434.jpg

Hotel Rendezvous, Singapore

The old Hotel, at Bras Basah Road:
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19990007467-0004-3012-0916/img089.jpg

In 2000, it was reincarnated as a 4-star hotel. Behind the old building rose a new tower:
http://www.rendezvoushotels.com/Library/photos/Singapore/sing_front_hotel_day_lr.jpg