IN-PERSON: Prague – Section B

Abstract

The Danish provincial town of Nyborg is home to a significant cultural history as key events in the formation of the nation played out on a local castle. However, due to damaging wars, lootings, premeditated demolitions and centuries of neglect, the castle has for centuries expressed itself in a rather battered figure. After long preparation, in 2015, an architectural competition was launched to revitalize the castle to the glory justified by its historical significance. However, choosing a winner was far from the final decision on how the castle should be reborn. Being protected both as a building and as a relic antiquity, many actors would have a say on the project. After many years of heritage management considerations and discussions, the proposal was finally rejected by an appeal committee. Yet even then, the case was not settled, and politicians replied with a new museum law making it possible to proceed with the project. This paper explores the still unsettled case of judgements in a site of significant heritage value. Of particular interest is the negotiations between interests of revitalizing a historical monument and its listing and protection as heritage object and the perspectives on suitable architectural approaches to reconcile the two. Moreover, the implied interests of economy through tourism and the construction of Danish national identity will be explored. Through studying the processes of case work in the heritage authorities, the paper seeks to explore the notion of architectural qualities and the handling of heritage values.