|
A C T T THE AIUD CONSERVATION AND TRANS-NATIONAL TRAINING PROJECT ( A Partnership between Public Authorities, Professionals, Craftsmen and Conservation Bodies of Great Britain and Romania to exchange knowledge and best practice in facilitating the repair and conservation of Historic Buildings and Monuments. ) This project is supported to date by:- In the UNITED KINGDOM IHBC National Council, West Midlands Branch IHBC, Oxford Brookes University, ICOMOS (International Council of Monuments and Sites) - UK and Europe, The British Council (London), South Shropshire Council, Herefordshire Council, North Shropshire Council, and English Heritage. In ROMANIA The Transylvania Trust, Secretary of State, Ministry of Culture, Secretary of State, Ministry of National Education, The British Council (Bucharest), The British Embassy (Bucharest), Utilitas (Architectural and Engineering Consultants), Bethlen Gábor College, Aiud, ICOMOS (Romania) and European Union (Romania).
DATE: OCTOBER 1998 (REVISED: MAY 1, 1999)
Preface - "The Need For Action …. Now" Project Within A Wider European Strategy Identification Of Key Problems Who Would Benefit From This Initiative? Capability To Undertake The Project
Co-Ordinated By:- United Kingdom Colin Richards Ba (Hons) Dip Arch Cons Ihbc Conservation Officer, South Shropshire District Council David Baxter Ma Dip Ud Mrtpi Ihbc Principal Building Conservation Officer, Herefordshire Council Romania Dr. Bálint Szabó, Executive Director, Transylvania Trust Ms. Dorottya Makay, Aiud Project Director, Transylvania Trust
Romania is a fledging democracy which, having thrown off the shackles of communism in 1989, is now looking to Western Europe for guidance to ensure its democratic stability. Under the Ceausescu regime, the country embarked on a process of systemisation which was to result in the destruction of its rural and historic heritage and the removal of vast numbers of the rural population to new urban settlements under state control. An aim of this process was to sever the links between the population and its past and thereby guide it towards the new future of the communist ideal. Many historic settlements were, therefore, deliberately destroyed and many were devastated through neglect through the re-settlement policies of the Ceausescu regime. Restoration work on historic buildings was actively discouraged. The aim of this project is to redress the balance following those years of destruction and devastation by helping to re-establish a system for the re-introduction of traditional building craft skills and techniques. The request for assistance has come from the Transylvania Trust based in Romania and has the full backing of the Romanian Government through the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Culture. It is also supported by the British Embassy in Bucharest, the British Council in Bucharest, ICOMOS Romania and the European Union in Romania. In Britain, the project has the backing not only of the Institute of Historic Buildings Conservation (IHBC) but also key Local Authority organisations, ICOMOS UK and Europe, The British Council in London, the Oxford Brookes University and English Heritage. A clear need for this project has been identified and is elaborated within this document and there is an overwhelming will for it to be successfully achieved. There is, at present, a window of opportunity where all of the key individuals and organisations are in place to undertake this project, and by doing so be participants at the outset of a buildings conservation movement in Romania. It is by no means clear that this window of opportunity will be available again in future years. It has been stated by Dr. Bálint Szabo, one of the most respected conservation specialists in Romania, that if this project does not proceed, it is likely that the conservation movement in Romania will be set back by 5 to 10 years.
In November of 1996, Colin Richards Conservation Officer of South Shropshire District Council, was invited by Dr. Bálint Szabó, Head of the Transylvanian Monument Restorers Society, to address the VI International Conference on Theoretical and Practical Issues of Monument Preservation held in Tusnad Bai Romania. The conference took place between the 16th - 23rd March, 1997. Of particular interest to the organising committee was his experience in achieving the restoration of important buildings and structures in remote areas of Shropshire using limited resources and, in many instances, re-producing materials and retraining local craftsmen in traditional building practice. In that respect, there is a close correlation between the rural Marches area of England and Transylvania. Both encompass remote areas which are based on a rural economy. Conservation of historic buildings and traditions need to be achieved utilising low cost restoration techniques. The experience and expertise is already available in the Marches area, primarily through Local Authority conservation practice. It was agreed by professionals in both countries that dissemination of such information and expertise to Romanian building practitioners would give impetus and direction to the development of historic building conservation in Romania. At the conference, he was the only speaker addressing practical and technical aspects of building repair as opposed to art, historical or theoretical approaches to the subject. The conference also included two days of field visits to sites and buildings across a wide region in Transylvania. These included Saxon towns and villages, monasteries, fortified churches and sites of archaeological interest. This provided an invaluable insight into the problems and opportunities that the country faces in this field. Following the conference, Mr. Richards was invited by the Director of the British Council to visit Bucharest and examine the rich architectural heritage of the city, both ancient and modern, and offer advice on how the great problems of decay and deterioration may be tackled at a grass roots level. In Bucharest he was invited to a meeting with the State Secretary for Culture, Mrs. Maria Berza, and also met with Professor Andrei Pippidi, President of the National Commission for Historical Monuments. Mr. Dan Kissilevitz, Deputy Secretary for Heritage, accompanied him to many sites around the city which were either in need of considerable repair or in a few cases, such as the Cotroceni Palace, in the process of overhaul. From discussions with such key personnel involved in monument preservation and from on-site observation, the lack of craft skills expertise and the need for a technical understanding of contemporary conservation practice were issues which needed immediate attention if a rich monument heritage was to be stabilised and protected for future generations. Mr. Richards was asked to discuss the situation with colleagues in the UK and consider how an exchange of expertise between conservation practitioners in Western Europe and those in Romania could take place. In the interim period, The Transylvanian Monument Restorers Society has maintained contact with Colin Richards. Building on his experience and the issues raised by Romanian practitioners, he has enjoyed the support of the West Midlands Group of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, in the assembling of a core team interested in providing practical help and assistance to the development of conservation practice in Romania. The joint project leaders are Colin Richards and Dave Baxter in the UK and Dr. Bálint Szabó and Dorottya Makay in Romania. David Baxter and Colin Richards as Chair and Vice-Chair of the West Midlands Branch of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation welcome the involvement of the Institute in this project. They are also members of the National Council of the Institute and acknowledge the potential which the project offers to disseminate the best principles of British Conservation practice for the advancement of conservation in a country where traditional building practice has been prevented for many years. It was agreed between the assembled multi-disciplinary UK team and The Transylvania Trust, supported by the Romanian Government, that the repair of the building in Romania as an exemplar, using craftsmen and supervisors from the UK, would provide the greatest opportunity for dissemination of knowledge.
This project embraces an exchange of expertise between Conservation Professionals in Great Britain, working for established Local and Central Government Authorities, with members of heritage related trusts and Government Departments in Romania, charged with the care of the built environment. Whilst in the first instance it is a site specific to the college of Aiud, it is anticipated that the profile and influence of the project will extend across the country by means of the wide cross-section of participants who will be invited to take part.
Romania is made up of people of varied ethnic backgrounds which include Romanians, Hungarians, Hungarian Romanians, Saxons, Serbs, Wallachians and Moldavians. These ethnic groups are geographically spread over the whole of Romania and have very strong connections with the surrounding countries of their own denomination. The individuals who will participate in this project will be taken from that wide cross-section of ethnic people. On completion of the project, this will ensure a very wide dissemination of information, both geographically and culturally throughout Romania and adjoining regions. One of the long term aims of the project is to ensure the sustainability of monument and historic building preservation in Romania in the future. This project is, therefore, in many ways seen as a stepping stone to a wider conservation strategy within Romania. The expertise gained here will enable a much longer term project to be undertaken at Bánffy Castle at Bontida, Cluj County (referred to in Section 5 of this report). The Bontida project will set up a national crafts centre within a building of international significance, but this will not be practicable if the initial training is not achieved through the Aiud project. This initiative will ensure the exchange of information and expertise in both directions between Romania and the UK. It will not only provide for a workshop base, whereby UK practitioners travel to Romania, but will also provide for members of the Transylvanian Trust travelling to the UK, prior to commencement of the main project, to fully understand the philosophy and practice of the British conservation system. It will also offer scholarships to students who achieve a high level of competence at the end of the project through the Oxford Brookes University. The need for the project has been identified by the Romanian Conservation Professionals and agreed by the British Partnership, if important sites and buildings are to learn from experience gained in the west in the evolution of the Conservation Movement during the last quarter of the twentieth Century. It represents an international partnership which may be seen to uphold and comply with the stated objective of key areas of grant initiatives promoted by the European Union, such as the PHARE Project and Project RAPHAEL. Through the training and direction given to participants in the project, the benefits of knowledge and expertise will extend long after the immediate workshop phase, and with the opportunity for a continued exchange of information between the project co-ordinators and participants, a sustainable working relationship will have been forged.
3.1 Cycle of Decay It became clear during Colin Richards’ visit to Romania that the country has a rich and diverse building heritage of unique and international significance but, after some 50 years of limited maintenance, it is increasingly vulnerable to rapid deterioration, as water and damp penetration erodes both structural and architectural integrity.
3.2 Lack of Practical Experience During the conference and in subsequent meetings with Romanian officials, it became evident that there was considerable expertise amongst architects, surveyors and architectural historians but, either through the lack of opportunity for on site practice, or an absence of the site agent/clerk of works level of practitioner, restoration work commonly did not achieve the quality or material/construction approach of the original building. Under the Ceausescu regime, building work was undertaken utilising concrete technology, a system which is not appropriate to the restoration of historic buildings, since there is a direct conflict in materials between the old and the new. There is presently a clear lack of experience in Romania of practitioners actually physically undertaking practical building repairs using traditional materials and traditional techniques of construction. It is at this specific level of building conservation that this project is aimed. Such a situation was exemplified by the restoration of Cotroceni Palace where great effort and good will was being exercised, but the conservative approach lacked the in depth knowledge of traditional building technology. Externally, the fine jointed lime pointing had been overlaid with a hard sand/cement strip layer up to five times the width of the original. This was not only visually disfiguring but served to retain moisture in the wall and rendering it vulnerable to frost and salt erosion. Internally, much of the soft lime/hair decorative plasterwork had been discarded and again replaced with unrelieved expanses of hard sand/cement render. This approach had robbed the building of much of its special interest and thus compromised its visitor appeal. In such instances, a more historically accurate and appropriate method of building repair would not necessarily have incurred additional material costs once their application and use had been re-learnt.
3.3 Inappropriate Practice In the Covasna administrative region, a number of churches were visited which had been repaired, again using hard modern mortars, and were now suffering from internal dampness which was creating conditions where fungal attack on decorative wooden panelling put at risk fabric of considerable artistic value. This problem extended to the simple farmhouses and domestic dwellings in Codlea near Brasov where cement based repairs to walling, which had traditionally never had a mechanical dampcourse, were now showing signs of delamination and damage to interior finishes. 3.4 Recognition of Historic Value In Great Britain, it has taken many years for the exceptional quality of much of 19th Century building and detailing to be appreciated. In the interim period, a great deal has been lost or debased with insensitive alterations. In Romania, in many of the villages and towns there survives intact large areas of 19th Century housing, commerce and agricultural buildings which as an entity have great interest and potential visitor appeal. However, there are instances where UPVC windows and prominently sited satellite dishes are eroding the town and village scape which would reduce their heritage interest. A concept similar to Conservation Areas in Great Britain, with control over building alterations, could well be important in protecting the most valuable sites. Such comments are not intended in any way to belittle the efforts that have been extended in attempting to protect the built heritage by owners and builders, particularly as virtually all construction carried out in the last 50 years has used concrete technology which became the accepted practice for all building work. In fact, there are instances where foreign aid has also proved incompatible with local building systems. In this brief summary of findings, it is not intended to address the need for an organisational and planning framework to manage the historic environment because, whilst it is fundamental to a sustainable governmental role in the careful protection and development of the resource, the problems and opportunities have been identified by others, and is the subject of continuing liaison between various U.K. and Romanian agencies.
4.1 Adoption of Traditional Building Techniques Many Western European Countries such as Great Britain have experienced a post modern recognition of the value of their rich architectural heritage and have developed a conservation strategy which supports the re-adoption of traditional building techniques and practices as generally the most suited approach to historic building repair and preservation. This has been complemented by the use of contemporary building technology, where it can avoid the loss of important original material.
4.2 Exchange of Expertise In discussions with individuals involved in the monument preservation field in Romania, it was identified that opportunity existed for an exchange of expertise and conservation practice to be achieved through an extended workshop teaching base, using a small team of expert conservation practitioners and craftsmen from this country actually working on an historic building in Romania which exhibited many of the common problems that are encountered across the region. This would typically include problems of settlement, brickwork/stonework, pointing/replacement, plaster/render repair, joinery and timberwork repair and treatment, together with the consolidation of decorative finishes. It was considered by The Transylvania Trust and Romanian Government Officers that, having a Romania based intensive workshop and tuition facility, represented the best use of resources and would be able to be experienced by a greater cross-section of interested individuals. If it was Great Britain based, it could only be accessed by limited numbers and there would not be the legacy of a repaired building which, in itself, can act as a reference item. This would offer the opportunity to develop and expand the existing Romanian conservation base and allow for a continuity of the project beyond the initial workshop.
The Transylvanian Historic Building Conservationists' Society have identified the Bethlen Gábor College of Aiud as being ideal for such a project. With such a national profile, the attendant publicity of the project will support a wide dissemination of the concept and practice which will take place. It is envisaged that a team of conservation building professionals operating on a given building over a ten week period would form the core team. Tuition for each participant would take the form of a formal introductory lecture session covering key areas of conservation building practice using audio visual support to exemplify comparable work in Great Britain. Tuition would be undertaken by professional lectures from Oxford Brookes University assisted by practising Conservation Officers. This would then be followed by on-site practice and demonstration which would include the opportunity for "hands on" experience by the participants. This format is well proven as an effective learning method in this country, giving direct access to practising professionals. The range of participants from varied ethnic backgrounds and a wide geographical spread throughout Romania will ensure an effective and efficient dissemination of information throughout the country, following directly from the project. The range of participants from varied ethnic backgrounds and wide geographical spread throughout Romania will ensure an effective and efficient dissemination of information throughout the country, following directly from the project. The Transylvanian Trust have a proven record of using simultaneous translation as a key element of their annual International Scientific Conference. The partnership which has been established with the Trust will ensure that difference in language will not impede the Aiud Project. In practice, the British craftsmen would demonstrate the repair techniques being utilised, whilst the Conservation Professionals explain the underlying conservation philosophy. The attendant Romanian trainees would apply the conservation techniques themselves so that they assembled the ability to undertake traditional craft skills and thereafter to disseminate the techniques and philosophies learnt to colleagues and other professional craftsmen. A typical day would also include advanced skill workshops, incorporating lectures and discussions for those more able students. Each day will be fully timetabled so that the learning and training elements of the workshop can be carefully controlled under the guidance of the Oxford Brookes University. The training will be structured to allow for continuous assessment and a final examination of competence for all students. For those that achieve the requisite skills to undertake restoration work to historic monuments, in a manner consistent with original work, a signed Certificate of Achievement will be issued jointly by Oxford Brookes, the IHBC, The Transylvania Trust, and the Romanian Secretary of State for Education. It is anticipated that, in the longer term, similar workshops can be created by the Romanian craftsmen themselves, teaching their own colleagues in various regions of the country. It is also proposed that a comprehensive recording of the building will be undertaken prior to commencement and that video recording of the project itself can be used for future educational purposes. The Romanian Government and The Transylvania Trust view the Aiud Craft Workshop as an essential first step in the development of a human skill resource as the basis for monument preservation throughout the country. To continue the initiative and build upon the experience gained, they have further identified the Bánffy Castle at Bontida near Cluj as a permanent conservation training centre with the end long term objective being the restoration of a site of exceptional importance for which World Heritage status is being sought. The castle is known as The Romanian Versailles. The Castle was built in the Renaissance manner during the mid 17th Century with enlargements and modifications undertaken during the 19th Century in both a classical and Romantic manner. The Castle exhibits forms of construction and ornamentation of exceptional quality and great variety and is thus ideal as a teaching workshop to prepare students for the type of complex restoration work they may encounter on other important sites across Romania.
It is intended that building Conservation Professionals, Architects, Surveyors, Craftsmen and others involved in monument preservation education would be eligible to take part in the project. The project is focused in its aim to assist Romanian Conservation Movement/Craftsmen to re-establish traditional building techniques by imparting best practice in British/West European conservation as a template for future development. In so doing, the project will establish a rolling programme for the conservation repair of the Bethlen Gábor College at Aiud, which will become an exemplar for the conservation of historic buildings and monuments in Romania. Although focused in its initial execution, the project will have far reaching consequences in supporting and guiding the regeneration of local based craft industries, tourism and education as follows : SHORT TERM BENEFITS * Repair of Bethlen Gábor College * Intensive learning for participants * Exchange of craft techniques * Fostering immediate relations between European countries
LONG TERM BENEFITS * Cascade of information to other conservation projects * Self education of indigenous craftsmen * Promotion of local craft trades - aiding local employment * Regenerating local craft industries * Reviving historic/traditional practices in building conservation * Improving heritage base to regenerate and encourage cultural tourism * Establishing a programme for educational exchanges * Creating firm links between British/West European and Romanian educational establishments * Development of long term follow up activities through Oxford Brookes University, e.g. funded scholarship arrangements
*Economic regeneration - poverty alleviation of currently unemployed building craftsmen who would have a wider skill resource to offer
This project has been constructed in such a manner as to ensure short term benefit in terms of repair of the Bethlen Gábor College, but the overriding objective of the project seeks to ensure longer term benefits and initiatives within the conservation movement in Romania. This will be achieved initially through the dissemination of information to building practitioners throughout the country, and it will also have a direct impact on economic regeneration through the re-introduction of local craft trades and skills, so boosting employment opportunities. It will also seek to promote cultural tourism throughout the country as a direct consequence of the crafts and techniques learned within the programme established for this project.
Between 30th November and 8th December, 1998, a survey of Bethlen Gábor College was undertaken by the core Project Team, which included an English Heritage Structural Engineer and a Conservation Surveyor. One of the objectives of the survey was to assess the overall feasibility of the project. The survey also included a detailed analysis of preparatory works and repairs needed in advance of the main project and also the extent of provision of supporting infrastructure such as drainage, water supply etc., to ensure the long term sustainability of the repairs. As well as a physical survey of the buildings, it was important to establish cultural and working links within Romania to ensure the sustainability of the project in the longer term. Consequently, the Survey Team attended meetings in Bucharest on 7th December, 1998 with the Romanian Secretary of State for Culture, the Secretary of State for Education, a representative of the British Ambassador, and the Head of the British Council in Bucharest, all of whom have given their full support to the project.
The Bethlen Gábor College is a residential institution which closes for the summer vacation between 28th June and 6th September, 1999. The Craft Skills Workshop will take place between those dates, with work concentrated on two elements of the building:-
These component parts were jointly selected by the UK team, The Transylvania Trust and the college administration as providing:-
The Project Team will consist of eight Conservation Professionals from the UK plus four members of the Transylvania Trust (see Section 10). It is proposed that two members of the UK team will oversee the project at all times on a rota basis and will combine with the Transylvania Trust members to ensure continuity throughout the project. A team of eight UK Craftsmen will also be assembled to undertake the practical repairs and demonstrate the craft skills to the Romanian workshop students, overseen by the Conservation Professionals. An alliance of Romanian Contractors have shown a keen commitment to become involved in the project and they will supply many of the students who will attend the workshops. The Contractors will also ensure that all preparatory work necessary for the implementation of the project is undertaken prior to the nominated commencement date. The raw materials for use in the repair - sand/lime cement, timber, steel, etc. will be delivered to site prior to the commencement of works. The UK/West European craftsmen will travel to Aiud, bringing necessary hand tools and other support equipment to commence work shortly after arrival. Accommodation for craftsmen, students and Conservation Professionals/lecturers will be provided by the College within the existing boys dormitory. Catering staff will be employed to provide means and subsistence within the existing dining hall. Classroom facilities will be available for lecture purposes as part of the overall tuition programme. It is proposed that each craftsman will act as tutor to four Romanian students who will undergo a five week learning package. This allows for a throughput of approximately 64 students during the course programme. Craft skills covered will include traditional rendering/plastering, including decorative detailing, brickwork repair, masonry consolidation and strengthening, traditional timber construction and repair, roofing skills to include attention to weatherproofing details and contemporary in situ repair practice to existing structures. Each student will undergo an examination of competence which will be recognised by the IHBC, Oxford Brookes University, The Transylvanian Trust, and the Romanian Government. The certificated students who achieve the necessary standard will effectively receive a passport of proficiency which will give Architects and Engineers in Romania a confidence in employing such people on sensitive sites and monuments. It is envisaged that, whilst the UK/West European professional team number would remain constant during the project, the personnel may interchange to allow for a close correlation between skills and different tasks during the restoration work. The UK public authority employees who will comprise the core project team will be sponsored by their respective employers but will require travel and subsistence expenses. Craftsmen and others who cannot recover their expenditure will be remunerated at cost. Two members of the UK team will go out to Romania prior to the commencement of the project to assist members of the Transylvania Trust in making preparatory arrangements.
The funding for the project is dependent on external support. Those Conservation Professionals and craftsmen involved will be giving their time at cost based on sabbatical leave from their full time employers. In that respect, their existing employers will be financially supporting the project. Similarly, the materials involved in the restoration work and the subsistence and professional costs incurred by participants in Romania will require sponsorship/external support. It is considered that the approach outlined above represents a "best value" means of achieving the stated objectives utilising professionals of acknowledged competence and respect in their various areas of expertise. The project is to be undertaken in two stages :-
a) Detailed survey of Bethlen Gábor College (undertaken 30th November to 8th December, 1998). b) Implementation of Main Workshop Funding for the survey stage was achieved as follows:-
Projected contribution for Romanian authorities:
Outstanding monies required: 157,670 USD
The project will be implemented jointly by the UK conservation team and the Transylvania Trust. In the UK, this will be achieved through the establishment of two teams :-
The above will have educational/lecture support from Oxford Brookes University. This will take the form of :- * provision of educational facilities; delivery of training workshops, lectures and seminars; assistance in running practice workshops (in UK and/or Romania); help in project management; provision of Pre-programme training days.
The Conservation Professionals are as follows :-
In Romania, the project team comprises:-
The Conservation Professionals who have been assembled to undertake this project have a diverse range of skills and abilities, enabling the full range of activities from practical/technical to educational/training to be fully assessed and implemented. In addition to personal knowledge and experience, the team will have extensive access to technical literature and the Internet to ensure full technical back up. Experience within the team in organising successful national conferences in the UK and Romania (academic, technical, "hands-on") provides a sound organisational capability to enable a project of this nature to be successfully implemented. The educational and training elements of the project will be fulfilled under the guidance of Oxford Brookes University.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||