Granada. The burden of History, past and present

Abstract

Heritage cities preserve the memory of space and time, and the inherited cultural legacy creates a link between past and future. It is in these cities where we must ensure the continuity between past and present to build the future. We will use the concept of landscape as the holistic conception of territory, culture and life. Cultural landscape has nothing to do with historic centres, but with its heritage value. Heritage cities are time-collector layouts. Any added volume within the system will modify he space, and thus must be expressed as a permanence. Contemporary designs must also respond to current changes and trends. They must contribute to the existing social and economic model while presenting a strong sensibility to context and people feelings. People need to own their space. Consequently, architecture must avoid facades and pseudo copies of our legacy, and seek for the preservation of the scale and the structure of the urban layout. The design of public spaces is critical, and so is the usability of them. Therefore, their management does not only belong to political interests, but to the inhabitants, the ones who achieve the affective connection with the heritage city.