ATSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER2011CONSERVATIONCurrently, and for at least the last decade, therehas been a high level of UK architectural activityand other investment in Poland, and in Warsawin particular. Until recently however there waslittle academic interest in the Warsawreconstruction (a World Heritage site since 1981)or indeed architecture generally in easternEurope. It was not until 2006 that BannisterFletcher's History of Architecture included amention of it, describing it as 'The mostsignificant post-war national initiative.From asocial, psychological, symbolic and a practicalpoint of view the reconstruction united thenation'.In this article I discuss the reconstruction andarchitectural merit of Stare Miasto -The OldTown at the core of the Polish capital Warsaw(Warszawa) of which more than 85% wasdestroyed in the Second World War. However aswell as to praise the achievement and resolve ofthe Polish people in carrying this out, I wish todiscuss the wider context and the lessons whichmight be learnt here for us in the UK.The Department of Polish Architecture atWarsaw University began to make collections inits libraries of measured survey drawingsprepared by students and others from 1906 withthe inception of the Protection of MonumentsDepartment. In the redevelopment strategydecided in 1945, many large parts of damagedhouses and shops, along with thousands ofsmaller pieces among the ruins were preserved,surveyed and incorporated in the subsequentrebuilding of the Old Town, which commencedin 1948. In The Old Town and The Royal Castle in Warszawa(Trans) Jerzy A.Baldyga 1988, p20, we read: 'This fact permitted two simultaneous actions tobe undertaken. One consisted in the soonestpossible protection of the walls of buildingswhich survived despite the destruction, the otherlay in the recording of relics still among the ruinsand in a quest for inventory, archival andiconographic materials, scattered all over thecountry'. There were small alterations to suit modernconditions eg the number of unlit rooms werereduced. Originally the residences of the ownerswere above the shops. When rebuilt, however,the shops were preserved on the ground floorand separate autonomous flats were providedabove. A district heating system was utilised; and six churches were also rebuilt.Thus, in the master plan of Warsaw, thelocalisation of the Old Town as a districtdesigned to fulfill housing needs was retainedand the conditions were ensured for its existencein the town planning system of a city with amillion inhabitants. When preserved andintegrated organically into the city organism, theoldest area of the Warsaw spatial system requiredneither a change in scale, nor an expansion, norsuch transformations as would to any degreedisturb its historical conceptionThe original varied colours on the walls ofdwellings were also incorporated. Axiomatically,many dwellings in London had this characteristic,however, by the late nineteenth century most ofthe walls in London had became white and therailings black.So on a mediaeval plan a new restored baroque,and partly late renaissance Old Town ofWarszawa arose, a rich and diverse collection ofbaroque and renaissance buildings restored as faras possible to their original state .Crucially the most important consideration ofthe reconstruction venture, was that it was doneat all, and it was only possible due to theavailability of measured surveys and otherdrawings held by the Polish HistoricalCommission and its related universities. Inaddition the historical importance of themeasured surveys in themselves was and still isemphasized in the Polish architectural academicstructure. The survey consisted of:1)Measured survey work (mainly carried out, butnot exclusively, by architectural students.2)Photographic and other records.3)The remaining fabric and recovered andreassembled remains.The reconstruction was therefore based on theoriginal historical building designs, techniquesThe postwar restoration of Warsaw's Old Town was only possible due to carefullypreserved historic architectural surveys. Guy Isitt MCIAT looks at how the restoration wascarried out, and questions whether similar work could ever be undertaken in the UnitedKingdom.Saved by the survey16

ATSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER201117CONSERVATIONoriginal historical building designs, techniquesand decorations, and adapted where necessary tomodern standards.What does this mean for architecture today? Hadthere been no record of the measured surveysetc carried out and held by the PHC. and theuniversities of Poland, the reconstruction wouldnot have been possible. I recently discussed theWarsaw reconstruction with Sue Cole of EnglishHeritage, who confirmed there is no EnglishHeritage or other national building record basedon architectural surveys. There are only ad hocrecords which are made when a listed building isaltered. This may not show the whole listedbuilding and curtilage. Therefore it might beprudent, if it is decided that our listed buildingsof architectural and historic interest areconsidered worthy of rebuilding in the event ofa disaster , that measures are put in place in orderthat this can be done. That is to say the creationof a comprehensive, measured survey record . How, by whom, and who should pay for this tobe achieved and indeed whether it should in factbe carried out would need to be determined bythe statutory and otherconcerned bodies andprobably in Parliament. It is my view that this isurgent, necessary and overdue. Opposite page: the Old Town square froman 18th century print. This page, top: thesquare after severe bomb damage after theWarsaw Uprising in 1944. Below: the restoredsquare today. © Scanrail - Fotolia.comConserva
on RegisterThe Conserva
on Register iden
fies Chartered Architectural Technologists competent in the conserva
on of historical buildings andtheir surroundings as defined and recognised by the Edinburgh Group.Suitability for the Register is based upon a technicalassessment of a candidate's porolio followed by a formal interview. Applicants must be resident in the UK.Applica
on fee: £150.00 plus VAT.Annual subscrip
on: £50.00 plus VAT.Subs year runs May-April; half year subs available to those joining aer 1 November.No addi
onal joining fee for re-assessment aer five years except if an interview is required in which case the fee is £100 (subject to change).For further informa
on please visit:www.ciat.org.uk/en/members/specialist_registers/conserva
on_register/Or telephone Amina Khanum, Membership Administrator at CIAT Central Office on 020 7278 2206.Develop your career with CIAT Specialist Registers