Historic Churches 2020

BCD SPECIAL REPORT ON HISTORIC CHURCHES 27 TH ANNUAL EDITION 9 internal condensation. The research concluded that as these gaps occurred from construction onwards, the solution would be to manage the internal water rather than trying to close the cracks. Step 3: Policies to manage change Conservation management planning is not about stifling change but about making informed decisions in the interest of the building and the people who worship in it. Principles and practical policies should be used to guide future development and given a priority level or timescale. An articulation of the building’s capacity to accept change can be useful, as can a room-by-room assessment to articulate specific actions. At Liverpool, a high-level repair methodology was developed to frame debate. It included three sequential stages of increasing intervention: repair, improve, reform:1 Repair – the lowest level of intervention, this solution implies that the tangible fabric is inherently significant, and functional. This requires physical failures to be untangled from the underlying causes. Often traditional conservation principles and techniques can be applied. Improve – improvements may be necessary if the design, material or technique of a component was flawed and does not perform adequately. Improvement will depend on an assessment of the tangible or intangible significance values. Reform – this is when components have inherently failed and have never been fit for purpose, and the intangible values of that element, or what it embodies, are more significant than the fabric or form itself. There is an opportunity here to use new technologies or bold designs to reshape the solution, often in line with the original vision. There should be a high threshold for intervention at this level. Applying this methodology to the water ingress into the lantern at Liverpool Metropolitan, we found that the solution was a simple one. Intervention at the lowest level, repair, was discounted as the resin was inherently defective, could not be repaired like-for-like and its replacement would result in a major, harmful change. However, as the lantern in its current form was highly significant and the resin was inherently flawed, but had not failed, it was decided that intervention at the second level was appropriate; improvement. The new design solution aimed to control the flow of water, directing it away from the fabric (and heads of the parishioners) with a series of unobtrusive gutters directing the water back outside the building. The environmental conditions continued to be monitored and results recorded for future analysis. Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral overarching conservation management plan policies: POLICY 1 All change will be grounded in a robust understanding of significance of the building POLICY 2 The impact of proposed change should be assessed to understand the benefits or harm to significance POLICY 3 Cyclical maintenance and periodic renewal will be undertaken proactively POLICY 4 All change should respond to a clear understanding of the issues and lessons learned from previous repairs POLICY 5 Changes to built fabric will be carried out using the methodology of repair, improve or reform POLICY 6 All changes will be recorded, and any new techniques monitored to inform future conservation works LESSONS LEARNED The project at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral emphasises that while postwar places of worship can have very unique challenges caused by novel techniques or materials, the tried and tested approaches of traditional conservation management are often the most appropriate ways of caring for these buildings. To mend modernism, and avoid the mistakes of the past, we must first understand the place of worship, and step beyond reductive tendencies to ask the fundamentals. What is important? Why is it the way it is? What has driven this particular design? What conservation actions will cause the least harm? The policies and principles that arise from this interrogation must be pragmatic and adaptable if a sustainable future is to be found for our most significant buildings. It is important not to enthusiastically try to ‘fix’ defects before they are fully understood. An inappropriate repair, particularly one that is not recorded or subsequently monitored, can worsen the problem in the longterm and have a damaging aesthetic impact. Often, the simpler the solution the better; with management of a defect being a perfectly acceptable solution until you fully understand the cause and effect – not just the symptoms of an issue. Further information Guidance on conservation management plans: • Church of England, http://bc-url.com/cmp1 • National Lottery Heritage Fund, http://bc-url.com/cmp2. Getty Foundation, Keeping it Modern initiative, http://bc-url.com/getty-mod Historic England guidance on assessing significance, http://bc-url.com/he-sos ICOMOS Madrid New Delhi document on 20th century conservation, www. icomos-isc20c.org/madrid-document/ Glossary Significance – the values or traits of a place that make it special to current and future generations, also known as special interest. Conservation management planning – an approach that carefully considers what makes your building special, how it is vulnerable and what can be done to preserve or enhance this significance. Dalle de verre glass – French for ‘slab of glass’. This is a type of stained glass with thick, coloured glass set in a concrete or epoxy matrix; an innovative technique sometimes used in the postwar period. Survivals are very rare. REBECCA BURROWS (Rebecca.Burrows@ PurcellUK.com) is an Associate at Purcell. A heritage consultant with over 10 years’ experience, she has worked for both Historic England and the Diocese of Lincoln. Current projects include leading the heritage advice for the Manchester Town Hall refurbishment and producing the conservation management plan for Coventry Cathedral. Rather than preventing water ingress, the decision was taken to collect and disperse it using a system of internal gutters and rainwater pipes. 1 cf John Allan’s 2007 article ‘Mending Modernism’ in Architecture Boston , Vol 10, No 5