Site ManagementNowadays, only few sites and historical monuments have survived in complete isolation, but have increasingly become part of urban landscapes or have been enveloped by modern development. Any planning of further encroachment upon those places of historical and cultural interest or changes that would have repercussions on or alter their substance should undergo the process of an evaluative impact assessment. Impact assessments not only define the limits of compatibility between a heritage property and a contemporary development but also explore ways how to integrate new elements in the circumference or within a heritage site successfully. For UNESCO World Heritage Sites heritage impact assessments are mandatory.
More than ever, cultural heritage sites are threatened by a multitude of detrimental factors such as expanding urban and industrial development, tourism, but also vandalism and climate change. To counter these potentially negative influences, SHC develops long-term and comprehensive site management plans that focus on site-specific challenges with a view to continuing preservation and maintenance. This includes building emergency response prepared plans, tailored for individual sites and monuments.
UNESCO’s very specific and multilayered requirements for submitting a nomination file is ideally the result of intense teamwork to which many parties contribute their expertise. In reality, however, the task to coordinate and actually write the file rests frequently on the shoulders of very few. SHC’s extensive expertise and familiarity with this subject can significantly shorten the time that is spent on composing the nominating file for potential WH properties through an effective presentation of the subject matter and knowledgeable, outcome-oriented writing.
The purpose of site museums is it to convey the historical and archaeological context of an excavated site or an ensemble of historic structures. SHC conceptualizes and designs, in cooperation with local site managers, conservators and archaeologists, bespoke small museums and storage facilities, appropriate for exhibitions that highlight a site’s peculiar cultural aspect which otherwise might get lost in the galleries of a large, central museum. Beyond aiding the decentralization and visibility of cultural offerings within a country or region, such site museums are proven not only to work well as local hubs of a general touristic infrastructure, but also as places that successfully raise awareness for cultural heritage among the local population.
An effective presentation of cultural heritage not only contributes to the general awareness for a region’s or a country’s past, it also builds acceptance for measures that protect certain areas from development. SHC develops, designs and produces site branding and explanatory materials, such as signage, pamphlets, film animation and interactive features, as well as websites and social media channels. As part of our capacity building program, we also develop scripts for tour guides and site rangers.
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