Creative clusters in the regeneration of Valletta and the cultural politics of Strait Street

The paper aims to unfold the narrative of development in a creative cluster project for the regeneration of Strait Street in Valletta, Malta. This is approached by first examining the distinctive, historically contentious background of the neighbourhood and, thereafter, unpacking the development narrative of policy documents and the discursive and material constructs about the creative city approach to regeneration strategies in the city. Using a ‘system-wide’ analytical framework, this material is then scrutinized to gain an understanding of the specificities involved and, finally, discuss the crucial features of the key dimensions elucidating the potential strengths and weaknesses of the case     

新形势、新任务和新策略:《瓦莱塔原则》的诞生背景及其核心概念解析

旨在取代《华盛顿宪章》的《关于历史城镇和城区维护和管理的瓦莱塔原则》(简称《瓦莱塔原则》)是历史城镇和城区保护领域的一份划时代文件。本文旨在从解析该文件的产生背景入手,使我们更清晰地理解其所面对的挑战和旨在解决的问题。该文件是近年来前所末有丰富辩论的结晶,隐含着丰富的内容,其正文容置达到了《华盛顿宪章》的4倍多,因此本文选择了分析维护(safeguarding)与保护(Conservation)、地景(landscape)与城镇景观(townscape)这两对非常容易被中文读者混淆的核心概念,以便集中揭示该文件在保护对象、范围和尺度方面的重大扩展,以及保护理念和措施的变化,即前所未有地强调整体保护、变化管理和监测规划。     

《华盛顿宪章》的终结与新生——《关于历史城市、城镇和城区的维护与管理的瓦莱塔原则》解读

《瓦莱塔原则》是目前关于历史城镇与城区保护的最新、最重要的国际宪章,它在《华盛顿宪章》、《内罗毕建议》等一系列文件的基础上,针对现阶段历史城镇与城区保护面临的新问题、新风险,对历史城镇与城区保护的主要概念给出了清晰的定义,详尽分析了影响历史城镇的社会、经济、文化的各方面变化,明确提出了对历史城镇进行维护和管理应遵循的原则与标准,以及关于实践的方法、建议和策略。与原有文件相比,《瓦莱塔原则》强调对干预历史城镇的行为活动的控制、强调场所精神的建立、强调文化认同的保持,重视变化以及变化带来的可能性、重视历史城镇的非物质价值的保护、提倡将历史城镇作为城市生态系统的有机部分实现可持续的整体保护与和谐发展。     

Architecture,values and perception: Between rhetoric and reality

Throughout history, design values have always underlined a given architectural style. The manner architects and architectural critics distinguish between them varies from that of the public. In fact a style well perceived by civil society was read as pathological by architectural academia. This paper examines the values and perceptions of contemporary architecture by architects and civil society. Through qualitative methodology, a project by each of the following leading contemporary architects-Renzo Piano, Norman Foster and Rem Koolhaas-was analyzed. The selected designs, all commissioned not more than a decade ago, vary in locations from Malta to Lebanon to India. The study concludes that design values and perceptions of architecture as read by members of the architectural profession do not tally with those of the public. The emphasis by architects is on the aesthetic whilst non-architects focus on the utilitarian dimension. Furthermore, the rhetorical language which architects use is not read as such by the public. The assessment of the public is based on the existential reality which they experience. The perception of civil society matters; it is at the core of architectural design values.