IN-PERSON London Heritages. Section A

Abstract

Historical authenticity is a theme of great debate within urban preservation studies. Some scholars affirm that fake historical architecture should be avoided when considering new designs within historical towns. However, historical towns in East Asia and South East Asia usually emphasize copying the historical features of the surrounding heritage buildings to blend with the historical landscape, creating a replication type of architecture. In addition, the replicas created tend to contribute to the thematization of the urban space, getting close to the Disneyfication phenomenon. The research focuses on how the term “Staged Architecture” would be most accurate to the East Asian and South East Asian background instead of using “Fake Historical Architecture,” which intends to describe contemporary architecture that imitates or reduplicates historical features. By changing the perspective towards this type of architecture it is possible to understand why this phenomenon is majorly spread in these contexts with the support of local authorities, locals, and tourists. It is then analyzed how this type of architecture is gradually becoming part of the local identity and forming part of the cultural and historical landscape. The results show that despite the historical authenticity misunderstanding, this type of architecture is perceived as the most accurate way to blend and integrate into the historical landscapes. Therefore, it should not be categorized as fake, since this terminology implies mostly a detrimental meaning. On the contrary, the discussion further suggests that Staged Architecture is a unique phenomenon occurring in Asian cities and should not be studied under the umbrella of Western cannons of authenticity.