Page 55 - Beyond Decommissioning

36 Beyond Decommissioning

BPF (2013) suggests various approaches that when taken individually or in sets,
can be conducive to the success to a redevelopment project:
l shared spaces rather than roads;
l a sense of local identity and quality of life;
l a mix of uses and a variety of building styles;
l slow traffic, or no traffic at all;
l public spaces, animated by people, and a concrete possibility of social interactions;
l associations with the past;
l well maintained buildings and streetscapes;
l architectural beauty and local character, or other interesting design features or detailing;
l overall ambience of the area, rather than individual buildings;
l safety; and
l genuine, as opposed to deliberately created, activity.
It should be noted that the term “conservation” (in this book used interchangeably with
“preservation”) is defined in Conservation Principles, English Heritage, 2008, p. 71 as
“The process of managing change to a significant place in its setting in ways that will
best sustain its heritage values, while recognizing opportunities to reveal or reinforce
those values for present and future generations.” Therefore, (controlled) change, that
is, reuse is intrinsically a part and parcel of preservation. In most cases, to preserve
something as untouchable makes little sense.
The contentious case of Zollverein, Essen, Germany is discussed here; also
highlighted are the compromises that were reached among differing views—on the
basis of bridging (i.e., mutually acceptable) values—to balance heritage conservation
and redevelopment interests (Oevermann, 2015).
The Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex (in German: Zeche Zollverein) is a
large former industrial site at Essen, Germany. Coal mining and processing on that site
lasted from mid-1800s to late 1900s. The two installations, Zollverein Coal Mine and
Zollverein Coking Plant, were huge.
Early in the transformation process, discussions were held on whether any (and if
so, which) parts of the large site might have heritage value. Since 2000, all four of the
remaining shafts and the coking plant had been listed as monuments; and in 2001,
some shafts and the coking plant were also appointed as the UNESCO World Heritage
Sites. Since the 1990s, Zollverein has been transformed by creative initiatives,
and was an anchor project of the International Building Exhibition Emscher Park
(see Section 2.1). The transformations of the site continue along with new uses of
art, design, and culture.
The chosen holistic planning strategy for the future of Zollverein focused on three
basic values: the first was to understand historic shafts and plants as the basic design
structure, while the others referred to the nature and the future uses of art and design.
Zollverein’s master plans from 2001 and 2002 integrated these values in the new rede-
velopment project. The Ruhr Museum has over 6000 exhibits covering the geography
and history of the region. The museum also runs special events and offers such programs
as conferences, tours and family packages. A detail of the Museum is given in Fig. 2.9.
The holistic design concept defines the historic complex as the core to be con-
served, around which new uses and buildings are to be located. The master plans