5. CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION

New buildings are built every moment. Old buildings also are abandoned every moment. Regenerating old buildings is popular in many countries recently. How to reuse the old buildings and blocks? How to protect them with the commercialized progress? In fact, many projects are hard to call successful. Many heritage sites have not been adequately protected. For commercialization of heritages, arbitrary refitting often happened in the heritage scenic spots, non-professional workers changed the original architectural style, and modern material replaced the traditional techniques. Those phenomena damage the historical information and the authenticity of heritages.

New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

Based on the literature review and case study, the dissertation discussed some prerequisite elements. They have the potential to be used for transforming the heritages into high streets. Additionally, a successful renovation project must guarantee the authenticity of heritages.

1)Authenticity is a significant role in conserving and renovating the heritages. The authenticity of heritages and their environment represents the uniqueness and value of brands and cities, which is a reason that could attract tourists.

2) Opportunities and challenges coexist in today’s world. High streets are experiencing a long-term decline. After the chronic shock of the Internet and online commercial method, COVID-19 dramatically impacted the real economy and accelerated the decline of high streets. It gives opportunities for heritages that tourists pay their attention to heritages near their living. Heritages have time to renovate and conserve for transforming into high streets.

3) Customer space is a critical point for attracting customers in the high streets. The high street should have a unique element. Heritage has enormous potential to be one distinctive element. Heritage can be the gateway of the high streets and areas, which is the difference between commercial districts having heritage sites and homogeneous high streets. In addition, traffic strategy, including lanes, sidewalks, transit streets and bicycle lanes, and parking, including car parking and bicycle parking, are crucial for high streets. A successful traffic strategy

could affect the will of customers, which may draw more customers’ attention and let them stop to shopping.

4) Eye-catching element is another key for catching customers’ attention. It could be a roof, fountain, and installation. If additional elements could improve the environment, they could provide more novel experiences to customers.

5) Fundamental design principles must comply. Novel and characteristic elements should not damage the functionality of high streets. Urban furniture, seating, planting and trees, lighting, bicycle parking and many complicated lanes should comprehensively be considered.

Some issues had been witnessed. In the renovating process, amateurish administrators and restorers may damage the authenticity. For professional, faking heritages became easy. Some fake heritages are only made for entertainment, which gives no cause for much criticism. But some of them are built on the former address with rebuilding buildings that totally is fraud for the public. On the other hand, ancillary facilities are crucial for high streets. Unsuccessful traffic planning and incomplete base installations will hurt customers’ enthusiasm, like the example of Liaocheng ancient city. The phenomena reported by Millington and Notunis should be emphasized. How to use heritages to improve surrounding areas? How to avoid constantly building homogeneous high streets? Prada gave many precious plans, but not every enterprise is so professional and so passionate. New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

The dissertation used some examples to discuss the essential elements that support renovating heritages to high streets.

The representation of the development of the Athens Charter discussed the definition of authenticity. The hierarchy system created by French scholars enlightens the renovation projects, reporting the feasibility of transforming heritages to commercial purposes.

Nara city is the best conserved ancient city in Japan, which gives an excellent example for the world how to conserve such a dimension heritage site. Japan’s conservation method, to some extent, abandons the business development of ancient cities, only develops local tourism. Japan attracted a large number of tourists without damage the precious heritages every year.

The Art center designed by MAD illustrates that Chinese scholars and architects are introspecting the previous conservation method, giving their solution for our time. The Chinese example of Dayan ancient city explained the damage of ‘demolish the heritage sites and rebuild fake heritages’. But the repair projects of Baodingshan and Great Pagoda show a unique Chinese understanding of heritages and their inheritance.

Fake Eiffel Towers, like Blackpool Tower, illustrate how famous heritages, even fake ones, improve certain areas’ attraction. Through the example of Eiffel Tower, fake these and Chinese characteristic town model, heritages are proved to have enormous potency to be

transformed to commercial districts. It really could attract customers and improve local living quality.

Superblocks is an outstanding project located in Barcelona. This project represents three main points to renovate the heritage sites. How to design the traffic system in the traditional blocks that have narrow streets? How to improve the percentage of pedestrian space? And how to improve the local economy and consumption? Compared with this example, Liaocheng ancient city neglects traffic planning. Terrible traffic system, particularly limited parking spots, impacts customers’ enthusiasm for shopping and strolling.

Clarke Quay and ‘Why Factory’ represent the eye-catching element. It illustrates how to improve the environment and catch users’ attention. One of the significant reasons for renovating heritage is for creating a better environment. As mentioned above, creating a new function is an effective means to react to the ruins.

Prada and its operation of renovating heritages represent a typical case. Prada helps society to conserve heritages, improving its influence, status and value. Although these examples spent enormous cost, it shows the worth of combining between experienced brands and responsible local governments, and the possibility of promoting this successful method.

Renovating the Heritages to Commercial Districts is a complex issue that should discuss many aspects with different experts and New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

perspectives. Through the literature review and many examples, some crucial elements can be summarized for renovating heritages. The prospect of renovating heritages to commercial districts is positive, and the successful possibility of these projects is very high. The dissertation wished to represent some enlightening perspectives for scholars and urban designers. Renovating heritages into commercial districts should focus on conserving heritages instead of earning money. It should be remembered every time. The projects wished to improve the local environment by improving living quality.

New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

Fig 5.1 The overview of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan.