Debates about authenticity in heritage restoration have never ended since the 19th century. While the axiology firstly raised by Alois Riegl calls for a comprehensive attitude toward different conservation methods. After the “Large Scale Demolition and Construction” (大拆大建) period and the loss of its many historical features, China is rebuilding the past through a mass of renewal practices to increase the values of urban heritages. Wenzhou is a city in southeast China. Although its urban history is typical of Chinese conditions, its conservation occurred later than in pioneer cities like Suzhou or Shanghai. Taking Wenzhou’s historic core as a case study, this paper attempts to question the evaluation model of heritage conservation from a critique of authenticity to a more comprehensive axiological perspective. It firstly sorts out the main theoretical framework of architectural heritage conservation, including the specific attitudes and methods in the Chinese context. Then, based on the two “protection plans” for historic Wenzhou, it deeply analyzes the positive values embodied in street rehabilitation projects. Especially the art value, the intangible value, the integrity, and the subjectivity in conservation had not gained enough attention in the authenticity evaluation paradigm. Finally, it further thinks about the future development trends of the historical city, as well as the enlightenment of urban conservation in contemporary China.
Kejum Shao is the Deputy Director for the Office of International Education and a lecturer in the College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China. His academic background is in both architecture and urban planning. He was educated in the UK and China. His main research interests are architectural history and the preservation of urban heritage. In recent years he has mainly focused on the case of historic Wenzhou. He has published more than 10 academic papers and presided over several scientific research projects.
Vincent Peu Duvallon is an Assistant-Professor and Executive Director of the School of Public Architecture at Wenzhou-Kean University. He received his professional degree at the ESA in Paris, France, and did his apprenticeship with Christian de Portzamparc and Frederic Borel in Paris. In the last decade, he has maintained an active professional practice in Asia with built works in Korea and China. His work in Wenzhou and Shanghai has been recognized for adapting antiquated factories into new mixed-use. His research focuses on contemporary vernacular environments and landscapes.
Joanna Maria Daoud is currently a lecturer at the Wenzhou University of Technology. She has a Master’s degree in Architectural Design for Sustainability (2014) and a Bachelor’s degree in History and Conservation of Architectural and Environmental Heritage (2011), both from the Turin Polytechnic in Italy. In 2012/13, she received the European Community Scholarship in urban design and planning at the American University of Beirut. Her research interest includes the future direction of urban design and planning, focusing on biophilic urbanism and community-led design.