2016 UNESCO Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation Now Open

The UNESCO Office in Bangkok has recently launched the 2016 call for entries of the annual UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The Awards recognize the efforts of private individuals and organisations that have successfully restored or conserved structures, places and properties of heritage value in the region. The Awards emphasise the importance of the conservation process, including the technical achievements and quality of the restoration, as well as the social impact, including community involvement in the project. Projects involving heritage properties more than fifty years old which were completed within the last ten years are eligible for consideration in the conservation category. Houses, commercial and institutional buildings, historic towns and villages, archaeological heritage sites and cultural landscapes, for example, are all suitable for entry. The awards aim to encourage others to undertake conservation projects within their communities, either independently or by seeking public-private partnerships. The project must be the result of private sector initiative or public-private partnership. The involvement of private individuals or organizations in terms of ownership, tenancy, financing or other contributions to the project should be clear. Projects which are financed, owned and undertaken wholly by government entities are not eligible. On the other hand, the Award for New Design in Heritage Contexts is given to newly-built structures that demonstrate outstanding design well-integrated into historic contexts. The Award encourages submissions of completed new architecture and design that enrich the existing heritage setting. Building annexes, as well as new extensions, new buildings, new public spaces and new structures, such as bridges, are all eligible for consideration. Winners will be announced in early September 2016, with a selected number of entries receiving the “Award of Excellence”, “Award of Distinction”, “Award of Merit”, “Honourable Mention” and “Award for New Design in Heritage Contexts”. 12 projects from 5 countries in the Asia-Pacific region were recognised in 2015. The deadline for submitting proposals in 2016 is 30 April. For additional information, please visit http://www.unescobkk.org/culture/heritage/awards/apply/