February 2013
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In the relationship between contemporary architecture and built heritage, the concept of actualization (as a cultural phenomenon) offers an alternative to the opposition between old/new. Even if new architecture in old buildings has existed for 2,000 years, it became an important issue in the field of conservation during the 20th century.The explosion of new forms in contemporary architecture, together with the rise of iconic architecture and so-called starchitects, seems difficult to reconcile with the extension of heritage signification--semantically, geographically and spatially. However, new architecture within an existing fabric is sometimes necessary for economic, environmental or functional reasons, as well as for the sake of heritage. It is thus part of the actual praxis. From relic-object, heritage converts itself into a dynamic project, thus creating a particular and independent architectural style.Actualization is a way of reinterpreting heritage by giving it meaning through action (as in this case of grafting contemporary designs onto existing structures). This process of communication acts as a response to the obsolescence of heritage; by transforming a site's representations and significance with a contemporary language and by intertwining itself in the patrimonialization process.The resulting architectural hybridity helps to create a mediation space that is both physical (with the architectural forms) and symbolic (through heritage and its representation). Three recent Spanish transformations are the object of a case study to analyze actualization through different manifestations: "punctuation" with CaixaForum access in Barcelona (Arata Isozaki), the "prolongation" of the National Museum Reina Sofía in Madrid (Jean Nouvel) and finally, the "revelation" of the Museum of the Roman Theatre of Cartagena (Rafael Moneo). These cases are supported by international examples