Ruins revisited: modernist conceptions of heritage

The perception westerners have of ruins underwent drastic transformations in the second half of the twentieth century. The realities of World War Two and the growing number of environmental problems made everyone realise that a ruin can be more than some enchanting reminder of distant cultures. Ruins stopped being objects of desire, precious anachronisms for adventurers to appropriate. This paper surveys emerging sensibilities towards ruins in literature, arts, archaeology and architecture. It presents a new vision, quite opposite to, but as powerful as the Beaux-Arts perspective.