Heritage of the 'other' : the future of lost architectural heritage

Digital technologies and their emerging role in architectural and archaeological heritage documentation and visualisation processes provide a conducive framework for new research questions. Technological developments in architectural visualisation and advancements in digital applications that use Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) platforms allow the integration of digital technologies in heritage visualisation more than ever before. Particular advantages of the integration of these digital technologies can be seen in the visualisation of lost architectural and urban heritage. Since these buildings or historic towns do not exist or are simply altered in a way that the historical aspects of these heritage places cannot be captured anymore, these digital technologies generate a valuable platform to experience these non-existing buildings as they were many years ago. Particularly dealing with the heritage that has disappeared with limited sources of information, these research questions generate discussions around heritage ownership, sense of belonging, the link between heritage and memory and ethical implications of the virtual reconstruction of lost architectural heritage. Furthermore, architectural and archaeological studies conducted in post-conflict societies also add to the complexity of these discussions in relation to the contestation of heritage places. This research investigated the contribution of recapturing lost architectural heritage to cross-cultural understanding, place-identity and heritage relationship. In order to assess this research question, participants were selected as population exchange descendants of 1923, which took place between Turkey and Greece. As one of the primary ports of deportation and as significant cultural and economic centres of the early 1920s, Izmir and Thessaloniki provided valuable research areas with similar historical developments that resulted in the loss of many heritage buildings. In addition to the population exchange descendants, conservation specialists from Izmir and Thessaloniki were the other participants in this research. Accordingly, interviews, focus group exercises and participant observation practices have been performed with population exchange descendants and conservation specialists by using various digital visualisation of lost historic buildings from Izmir and Thessaloniki. Data was collected through fieldwork while participants were engaging with the virtual reconstructions and various mixed-media outcomes created by digital technologies. This mixed media fieldwork material includes Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) examples as well as maps and rendered images of selected virtual reconstruction of lost heritage places in the case study cities. The collected data were then analysed by using qualitative methods, and emerging themes were identified accordingly. This allowed a comparative analysis of the impact of the use of digital technologies as part of the heritage visualisation of lost buildings. The identified themes were discussed around heritage memory relations, heritage ownership, importance of the reliability of primary source of information of historical data, the role of future interpretations of the generated digital reconstruction. The findings of the study show that virtual reconstructions and mobile devices that can be used to experience these virtual environments are valuable tools to raise awareness about the lost heritage in previously diverse communities. The impact of these virtual reconstructions was mainly positive and generated interest towards these lost heritage places. Engagement with the visualisations not only generated a tangibly better understanding of ancestral heritage but also with the other in ways that could increase cultural and social dialogue between the communities of the two neighbouring countries.

Grantor dc:publisher

Oxford Brookes University

Year dc:date

2022

Author dc:creator

• Gunay, Serkan

Contributors dc:contributor

• Orbasli, Aylin
• Abanda, Henry

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved

Language dc:language

en

DOI dc:identifier

https://doi.org/10.24384/ycc0-6m74

OAI identifier oai:identifier

tle:d56ec656-17e9-4bad-b9b0-55d4b307310a:d6bd9758-527a-46cd-bfe2-c433766e8fca:1