CIPA 2003 XIX th International Symposium, 30 September - 04 October, 2003, Antalya, Turkey
representation of a region of outstanding values in terms of
natural (and cultural) heritage.
The tasks of preliminary studies concerning remote sensing are
mainly focusing on the brief analysis of historical imagery of
the region, here panchromatic spacebome photographs of the
Corona missions from Nov. 1970 (Fig.3) and the perspectives of
building time series of Land cover and land use chance by
applying recent high resolution imagery, here of IRS-1C multi-
spectral satellite data from Nov. 1998 and digital terrain models
(Fig.4).
The dynamics of change of landscape structures and land cover
patterns are closely connected to natural and man-made impact,
that is annual floods, earth quakes (1998) and traffic or tourism
measures. Changes occur in different levels, that is from local
(buildings, landscape elements) to regional (structures of
settlements and of landscapes) scales. Approaches to build
spatial information systems on cultural and natural heritage in
the region have to integrate a representative variety of experts
knowledge.
Thus the case study brings together a task group of
transdisciplinary experts, actually comprising geologists of IIT
Roorkee (India), anthropologists of University of Srinagar
(India), remote sensing and geoinformatics experts of
University of Dresden (Germany) and experts in information
systems on cultural heritage sites of the Institute of Comparative
Research in Architecture Vienna (Austria).
2.2 Acknowledgements:
Figures 1,2 and 4 are part of a report on the research work
which was carried out by Ashis K.Saha of IIT Roorkee during a
scholarship at the University of Dresden, funded in the frame of
the DAAD sandwich programme for Indian PhD students.
3. DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS
The Vienna based Institute for Comparative Research in
Architecture (ICRA) is researching in the wide field of all
disciplines, which are influencing architecture in any way. A
cooperation of architects, anthropologists, historians,
archaeologists, specialists in art but also in biodiversity,
forestry, water, meteorology and so on are working together to
show up the influences between the natural and the built
environment.
Special interest is the genesis of architecture and its reciprocity
with the environment all over the world. The aim is twofold: on
one hand we want to protect the complete loss of traditional
structures (in real and virtual ways) and on the other hand to
find out in which way traditional building techniques may
support modem architecture.
Two of our projects will be shown within this poster.
3.1 South Pacific Architecture - Building Traditions in
Samoa and Fiji
Based on an excursion with experts and students in February
2002 this cinematic documentation shows the interdisciplinary
work of architects, anthropologists and photogrammetrists on
site and the results of the research.
Despite brisk research work in the anthropological field the
architecture of the Pacific region is known very little. A unique
part of the worlds' cultural heritage is abandoned and facing an
increasing decline. Hot and humid climatic conditions and the
growing commitment to progress and towards modem signs of
prosperity accelerate the negative trend. Just a few remains of
the traditional architecture are remaining.
Both in Samoa and in Fiji the manifestations of the buildings
are closely connected with the social and cultural life. Purely
technical photographs of the buildings alone therefore form no
sufficient basis for researching an overall view of the
architecture of the region - from the historical examples to
today. Therefore it was particularly important to work with the
methods of anthropology to find out about connections between
architecture and the way of life and to analyse change processes
on this basis.
The building method on the two islands differs fundamentally.
While traditional architecture in Samoa gets along without
walls, and thus no place for privacy is present, on Fiji closed
structures are dominating. It is also unique that traditional
building process in Samoa is downward as it were top to
bottom. Complex hanging structures, elaborate bindings of
coconut fibre and roofing made of sugarcane and palm leaves
form a harmonious - however unfortunately short-living - total
structure.
The tropical, damp-hot climate corrodes the wooden houses
after approximately 20 years, if the so far usual, permanent
maintenance work is no longer regularly accomplished.
Introduction of modem technologies and the change of values
that is taking place all over the Pacific area accelerate the loss of
traditional houses. Prefabricated buildings following US-
American samples and the use of corrugated sheets and tin let
the conventional handicraft art sink fast into oblivion.
Outside influences by "Palagis" (translated white people), rising
tourism and an arising of new media change also the housing
customs and lead to a changed consumer and prestige thinking.
The application of new technologies does not lead automatically
to an improvement of the quality of life. Therefore it is not only
necessary to record traditional built volumes but also to offer
approaches for current problems and formulate increasing
problems and questions. The unique combination of technical
and cultural components in our research work addresses the
topic from different sides and shows a possible way for future
scientific interdisciplinary work.
3.2 Art in the sign of building traditions in the Vojvodina
1990, under the regime of the president Slobodan Milosevic the
autonomy of the Serbian provinces Kosovo and Vojvodina
nullified. The minorities, who were living in those regions, were
forced to complete assimilation. Traditions of the different
ethnic groups were suppressed and the education in the
respective languages was forbidden. The import of books was
prevented.
The north province bordering on Croatia, Hungary and Romania
is the grain chamber of Serbia. About 40 per cent of the national
tax revenue originates from the Vojvodina. All these funds had
to be transferred directly to Belgrade and only very little flowed
back again. In the relatively wealthy Vojvodina this had a
particularly painful result. Due to the meanwhile bad
economically situation and preceding political confusions the
individual represented ethnic groups departed increasingly from
their cultural roots. To work against the complete loss of
cultural and artistic inheritance the "Hungarian association for
young people in the Vojvodina" - DMISZ (Delvideki Magyarok
lfjusagi Szervezete) created the "games of the youth of the
Vojvodina" („Nyari lfjusagi Jatekok“).
In the year 2000 the games have been initiated to offer a
possibility for the youth of the Hungarian minority to deal with
their traditions in a playful way. Each year in May 80 teams of 8
persons start to work on different tasks, which are concerned
with cultural and artistic topics of the ethnical minority. Thus
for example traditional song property was collected or plays had
to be prepared in co-operation with older ones, mirroring typical
