Call for Entries: 2015 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation

The application process for the 2015 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation is now open. These Awards, established in 2000, aim to recognise 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. Since the Awards were established in 2000, UNESCO has received 562 entries from 24 countries. A total of 174 projects have received Awards for high achievement in conservation, while 9 have received the Award for New Design in Heritage Contexts (previously known as the Jury Commendation for Innovation). 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. Winners will be announced in early September 2015, 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”. The latter award 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. Entries for the 2015 Awards programme must be submitted to the UNESCO Office in Bangkok by 31 March 2015 using an official entry form, a description of the project in the official format, drawings and photographs in hard and softcopy formats. For additional information and access to the application forms, please visit http://www.unescobkk.org/culture/heritage/wh/heritageawards/2014ha0/