Editorial for the Special Issue “The Future of Built Heritage Conservation”

The evolving role of built heritage in a rapidly changing world calls for a reconsideration of how we value, adapt, and protect our cultural heritage.This Special Issue of Architecture brings together a collection of diverse contributions that explore the complex interplay between heritage, conservation, and adaptation, considering how they inform our contemporary understanding of built heritage.The traditional understanding of heritage as tangible (physical) sites that represent authorised discourses and histories is being challenged by a postmodern conceptualisation of heritage as a dynamic and pluralistic process across space and time [1].Together, the articles in this Special Issue provide critical insights into the future of built heritage, questioning the established methods and presenting new opportunities for more inclusive and sustainable practices.Beginning with Laurajane Smith's established premise that "all heritage is intangible" [2], this Special Issue engages with expanding perspectives on critical heritage studies, intangible cultural heritage, contemporary conservation theory, and adaptive reuse.Evolving thinking across these themes highlights heritage as an immaterial, people-focused activity that can be constantly recreated, translated, and reborn [3].This collection addresses the following questions: What is the relationship between the approaches to built heritage and the issues made prominent in critical heritage studies?How can architecture, conservation, and adaptive reuse strategies evolve to maintain relevance to the topical debates surrounding heritage in contemporary life?Additionally, contributions from neighbouring fields of inquiry-such as heritage management, archaeology, and cultural heritage studies-are also considered to reflect on the future directions within built heritage conservation.Sally Stone's essay, "Notes towards a Definition of Adaptive Reuse" [Contribution 1], sets the tone by examining the evolution of adaptive reuse as a creative practice.Stone highlights how adaptive reuse transcends traditional architectural approaches, reimagining historic structures in ways that reflect contemporary cultural imperatives, such as sustainability and the focus on human experience over new construction.This emphasis on reuse and transformation forms the foundation for many of the subsequent discussions in this collection.Elizabeth Robson's article, "Assessing the Social Values of Built Heritage" [Contribution 2], explores how participatory methods can reveal the diverse and sometimes conflicting values that communities attribute to heritage sites.In focusing on Cables Wynd House in Edinburgh, Scotland, Robson demonstrates how built heritage can principally involve understanding the social significance that places hold for different community groups.Such approaches are essential for creating more people-centred, inclusive heritage conservation practices.In "Towards a Holistic Narration of Place", [Contribution 3] Youcao Ren and I delve into the complexities of conserving both natural and built elements at the Humble Administrator's Garden, China.Our research documents the tensions between the pressures of commercialisation and the need to maintain socio-cultural values, calling for more "holistic narration" that recognises both the tangible and intangible aspects of heritage.This theme of intangible cultural heritage is echoed in several contributions, such as Nigel Walter's exploration of the interplay between tangible and non-tangible heritage