The making and unmaking of heritage

Heritage is defined by history which is by nature multi layered. The passage of time and the perspectives it affords, enables and even necessitates constant reexamination and reinterpretation of history. What effect do changes in historical perspective then have upon the definition of heritage which relies on an understanding of its history? The present paper attempts to engage with the notion of heritage, criteria of its definition, and the mutable nature of such designations with specific reference to architectural constructions and historical cities that enjoy or have enjoyed in the past the status of a ‘World Heritage Site’. Examples such as the Louvre museum in Paris or the King’s Cross station in London make an interesting study as they not only allow insight into the past but reflect the changes and adaptation over a period of time. Multiple alterations, some very recently, have modified them extensively since the time they were accorded the ‘World Heritage Site’ status. The above examples are contrasted by sites ridden with conflict such as the Bamiyan Valley. This site has been placed under the ‘World Heritage In Danger’ list by UNESCO taking into account the destruction of the Buddha statues in the region. The act of vandalism itself has had dual implications. While causing an irreparable loss to mankind of its heritage, it also serves as an effective symbol of religious fanaticism that is a pressing concern of our times. The paper then moves on to explore the case of Dresden which lost its ‘World Heritage’ status with the construction of the Waldschlösschen Bridge. This is a particularly interesting case because with the absolute destruction of the city during the Second World War, it was necessary to reconstruct the historical city while simultaneously acknowledging and addressing the modern day requirements. During the reconstruction, with the readaptation of the spaces, it was almost impossible to replicate the original architectural program or to undertake such a large reconstruction project employing only the traditional techniques and materials. This essentially made it a new city constructed in the image of the old. The recent necessity of a growing city was met by the construction of a bridge that has caused it to lose its ‘World Heritage’ status. Finally, this paper endeavours to foster discussion of questions central to the definition of heritage such as what happens when we have to adapt a living space to avoid its deterioration and descent into dereliction by overuse. Does it necessarily lose its historical value? What exactly is Historical value?.

The Sound of the Digital Global City

Madrid has been the center of Spanish musical scene and industry since the 80s, when “la movida” becomes the metaphor for the new colorful, young and cosmopolitan country established with the arrival of democracy. The city, in this way, is basically a place. But this sense of place started to crash with the arrival of digital music. In the new paradigm, intermediaries were supposed to disappear and music was something contained in networks and computers. The question now is how to integrate digital music, a nonphysical, individual experience, with the way in which the city of Madrid is lived through in musical terms. With the advent of digital music, concerts became the primary source of income for musicians. The centrality of the gig can be understood as the confirmation that we are living in an economy of experience. This centrality also reorganized the way in which music is produced and consumed: now, records are produced in order to create the opportunity of a musical event (band promote their tour as presentation of their latest recordings) that can be promoted in social networks and media; concerts are the places where musicians construct their fans’ communities and are the places were records are sold, not a way to know the band but to demonstrate both the support for the band and the status of the listeners. To study the place of music in the process of metropolization in Madrid we need to understand music as a field of tension