From a threat to an object and a subject of preservation

the human agency on architectural heritage in the Finnish preservation legislation

Authors

• Iida Kalakoski arkkitehti, yliopisto-opettaja https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4599-0960
• Riina Sirén arkkitehti

DOI: https://doi.org/10.54331/haik.126007

Abstract

This article explores how the Finnish building preservation laws, ordained in 1964, 1985 and 2010, have considered the human agency and involvement in the architectural heritage. The most important notion is that the human agency is not clearly expressed in the legislation. Secondly, especially the two first laws consider the human involvement rather as a threat for architectural heritage than as a tool for preservation. However, the Finnish legislation has developed in interaction with the international debates on cultural heritage and the importance of human participation.