Material Analysis and a Visual Guide of Degradation Phenomena in Historical Synthetic Polymers as Tools to Follow Ageing Processes in Industrial Heritage Collections

Identifying the most vulnerable plastics and monitoring their deterioration is one of the main problems within heritage collections with historical synthetic polymers. Gathering and interpreting data about material and degradation phenomena in a collection reveals its conservation needs. A systematic survey of the collection can help towards this purpose. Surveys aiming at inspecting and documenting damages rely on several tools in order to fulfill their purpose. Firstly, objective descriptions of the damages that may appear, and secondly, the means of acquiring and interpreting material information. To address these needs, this article presents (a) a visual damage catalogue of degradation phenomena in plastic and rubber materials, and (b) the implementation of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (py-GCMS) for the identification of analytically challenging rubber materials and of blooming phenomena. The damage catalogue is based solely on visual and olfactory signs, so that the assessment is independent of possible causes of damages and underlying processes, with the purpose of allowing objectivity to prime over interpretation. The limitations of the use of FTIR in the identification of heavily compounded rubbers in museum surveys is highlighted, and examples are presented. The use of py-GCMS on these cases conveniently allowed the identification of the constituting monomers of several rubber materials where FTIR could not provide a univocal classification of the material present. The study of several cases of blooming allowed the identification of diverse compositions and origins, showing that the description of a degradation phenomenon is only the first step towards its understanding. Unveiling the nature of a particular case of blooming is particularly critical when conservation treatments, such as the removal of a (potentially protecting) layer, are planned. For this purpose, attenuated total reflection-FTIR (ATR-FTIR) as a surface technique was particularly useful.

The Industrial Heritage of the Araraquara Railway

This article deals with the industrial heritage of the 20th century in Catanduva-SP, having as object of analysis the Railway Villages of the old company Estrada de Ferro Araraquara (EFA), located in the São Francisco and Higienópolis neighborhoods. The justification of the theme is supported by the lack of research on the railway village of Catanduva, the lack of knowledge of the complex and the lack of recognition of its value as cultural heritage. In this context, the work aims to document and inventory railroad villages in the São Francisco and Higienópolis de Catanduva neighborhoods, and to propose guidelines for their safeguarding. The working methodologies used were Historical Research and Case Study, based on a documentary survey on the object of analysis and on-site visit. As a result, 13 bungalow-style residences were identified, most of them in good condition. As safeguard guidelines, the conservation, preservation, restoration and rehabilitation of these residences were proposed so that they maintain their physical structures and the internal organization of the rooms, meet the needs and expectations of users and preserve their cultural significance.

Transformation of the city of Split industrial heritage into a science center

Background: Split is a city in the Mediterranean, situated on Croatia’s coastline. Split’s northern coast has a long-stand-ing industrial function and harbors the city’s first electri-cal substation, designed by modernist architect Josip Maria Kodl. Objective: The goal of this work was to envision a science center in Split’s industrial zone in Dujmovača (the northern coast of the Split peninsula), comprising a science museum with a research and congress center. The programmatic and spatial analyses of the science center’s amenities and the proposal as a whole demonstrate the potential of this forgotten space in Split and breathe new life into Kodl’s ar-chitectural heritage. Methods: The proposed solution uses a dialogical narrative between a conservation, contextual, programmatic, and theoretical approach within a strict orthogonal structure, fostering the development of alternative associations and elaboration of architectural details.Results: The proposed solution constitutes a complex of multiple interconnected and flexible elements. This al-lows different parts of the Science Center to function inde-pendently of each other. This paper provides an analysis of design steps and methods, the proposal’s advantages and limitations, and the way the repurposing of industrial heri-tage was approached. Conclusion: The position of the Science Center in Dujmovača would provide one of the first impressions when entering Split on the future metro line. By reconcil-ing landscape and industrial architecture, the proposed building complex offers a framework for presenting various kinds of modifiable content, for both the pres-ent and the future.

Research on the Protection and Reuse of Industrial Heritage from the Perspective of Public Participation—A Case Study of Northern Mining Area of Pingdingshan, China

With the decline of the big industrial period, many industrial cities in China are facing the problem of urban transformation. Post-industrial economic activities and social life often replace the demand for land and population growth, and the particular type of cultural heritage of industrial heritage is often abandoned and decayed. Recent domestic and foreign research has responded to this problem and sought to provide solutions for the protection and reuse of industrial heritage. Despite some progress, the advice and feelings of ordinary citizens are often rarely considered, or how local urban characteristics become the core of urban reconstruction. To solve this problem, the focus of this study is the case study of Pingdingshan City. Pingdingshan is an industrial city with coal as its core industry. Shortly, the problem of industrial heritage will be a severe problem facing the city. The study included research designs and methods for collecting data from field observations, questionnaires, interviews, and literature studies. In the process, researchers have critically considered the importance and implications of public participation in exploring the way in which they are protected and reused through the protection and reuse of industrial heritage. It is particularly worth mentioning that in the reconstruction of the protection and reuse of industrial heritage in Pingdingshan, government officials and enterprises lack sensitivity to local conditions and the views of residents. The study concluded that the protection and reuse of industrial heritage require public participation and that the public’s demands can guide and determine the way industrial heritage is protected and reused.

Heritage of Liminality: Remnants of the Military in the Istrian City of Pula in the Aftermath of Yugoslav Socialism

Heritage of Liminality: Remnants of the Military in the Istrian City of Pula in the Aftermath of Yugoslav SocialismThis article is devoted to the meanings of the liminality that shaped the (self-) perception of the Croatian city of Pula and came as a result of the long-term presence of the military (and heavy industry) in the city. The study discusses the modalities of cohabitation of the Yugoslav People’s Army and the citizens of Pula, who lived together, interacted, and shaped each other during the period of Yugoslav socialism, and highlights the consequences of this mutual shaping in the aftermath of the Yugoslav socialist project. In the ongoing process of Pula’s contentious urban transformation, in which several military and industrial facilities, complexes, and areas still wait for their new functions and new owners, the city’s military nature and liminality have been identified as a problem by authorities and policy makers: they see the material and immaterial traces of the presence of the military in the city as an “unwanted heritage”. In opposition to the view that Pula’s military (and industrial) heritage is a problem to be overcome/eliminated, the article argues for a more inclusive approach that would acknowledge the fact that this heritage is perceived by citizens as closely related to their city’s multicultural and working-class tradition, and that would recognize its potential to produce meanings, values, histories, and memories.Nasleđe liminalnosti: tragovi prisustva vojske u istarskom gradu Puli posle kraja jugoslovenskog socijalizmaČlanak se bavi liminalnošću koja u značajnoj meri oblikuje (samo) percepciju grada Pule u Hrvatskoj, a nastala je kao rezultat dugotrajnog prisustva vojske (i teške industrije) u ovom gradu. U njemu raspravljam o modalitetima kohabitacije Jugoslovenske narodne armije i građana Pule, koji su zajedno živeli i delili urbani prostor u periodu jugoslovenskog socijalizma, i osvetljavam posledice ove kohabitacije, deljenja i uzajamnosti vidljive u vreme nakon kraja jugoslovenskog socijalističkog projekta. U ambivalentnom procesu urbane transformacije Pule koji se upravo odvija, dok mnogi vojni i industrijski objekti, kompleksi i prostori još uvek čekaju na novu namenu i vlasnike, gradske vlasti i snovaoci urbane politike „vojni” identitet grada i njegovu liminalnost identifikuju kao problem: materijalni i nematerijalni tragovi prisustva vojske u gradu označavaju se kao “neželjena baština”. Nasuprot viđenju pulske vojne (i industrijske) baštine kao problema koji treba prevazići/eliminisati, u članku se zalažem za inkluzivniji pristup koji uzima u obzir činjenicu da građani Pule ovo nasleđe usko povezuju sa multikulturnim i radničkim identitetom grada, i koji prepoznaje potencijal tog nasleđa da proizvodi značenja, vrednosti, istorije i sećanja.Dziedzictwo liminalności: znaki obecności wojska w Puli na Istrii po upadku jugosłowiańskiego socjalizmuArtykuł porusza kwestię liminalności w znacznym stopniu kształtującą (auto)percepcję miasta Pula w Chorwacji, co jest skutkiem wieloletniej obecności wojska (i przemysłu ciężkiego) w tym mieście. W tekście omawiam kwestię współdzielenia przestrzeni miejskiej w okresie jugosłowiańskiego socjalizmu przez Jugosłowiańską Armię Ludową i mieszkańców miasta, analizuję również skutki owej kohabitacji i współpracy widoczne w okresie po upadku jugosłowiańskiego projektu socjalistycznego. W trakcie wciąż trwającego ambiwalentnego procesu transformacji przestrzeni miejskiej Puli wiele obiektów, kompleksów i miejsc militarnych oraz przemysłowych oczekuje na zmianę przeznaczenia i nowych właścicieli, tymczasem władze miejskie oraz twórcy polityki miejskiej za podstawowy problem uznają „wojskową” tożsamość miasta i jej liminalność: materialne i niematerialne ślady obecności armii w mieście określane są jako „niechciane dziedzictwo”. Wbrew powszechnemu traktowaniu owego dziedzictwa jako problemu do rozwiązania, w swoim artykule wybieram podejście bardziej otwarte, które uwzględnia zdanie mieszkańców Puli wpisujących je w wielokulturową i robotniczą tożsamość miasta; staram się również podkreślić jego potencjał w procesie wytwarzania znaczeń, wartości, historii i pamięci.

Reflections on Industrial Heritage Transformation in Slovakia (based on a Case Study)

In the paper, we have a look at one of the most popular and most used forms of protection of industrial heritage today: transformation. Central Slovakia is the region with the most industrial monuments and sites in Slovakia and many of them are more or less aesthetic elements of the local landscape since the Middle Ages. However, except of some popular destinations, Central Slovakia does not belong among the regions with high attendance of domestic and foreign tourists. Several industrial monuments are in poor condition and located in remote places where tourists rarely venture. In this article, we would like to point out transformation and adaptive reuse as an appropriate form of protection for industrial monuments and have a closer look at the potential of rural regions and small towns. As a positive example of a conversion, we analyze the Čiernohronská Forest Railway in Čierny Balog in more detail. We focus not only on its positive economic and aesthetic impact on the surrounding landscape and people’s lives, but also on building prestige and an important position of the rural and unattractive touristically region in comparison with popular and prestigious tourist destinations.