i Edi ce that Enrich: Enhancing Heritage and Sustainable Tourism through Re-articulation and Re-interpretation of Character De! ning Elements of the Alberta Legislature Building. Photo Credit: Wikipedia.com ii Unpacking the IssuesS amuel Oboh I n p a r t i a l f u l f i l m e n t o f t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r E X T 5 0 7 , M a s t e r s o f A r t s i n C o m m u n i ca t i o n a n d Te c h n o l o g y, U n i v e r s i t y o f A l b e r t a Submitted to : Dr. K irby Wright Oc tober 2009 iii I ntroduc t ion: Par l iamentar y Architec ture and Pol i t ica l Culture Legis lature Bui ld ings and Meanings Using the Alber ta Legis lature as a Case Study Cultural Her i tage and Sustainable Tour ism Study Process and Conclus ion Schedule References Outline 1 Introduction: Parliamentary Architecture and Political Culture There is one in every provincial capital in Canada and scores of them in almost every seat of government of most democratic jurisdictions around the world. They are usually associated with politics, power and governance and judging by their characteristics, they are meant to attract attention. Legislature or parliamentary buildings belong to a unique built design typology classi! ed as parliamentary architecture that are often established not by architects but by the society based on social formations and fundamental purpose of government. Within the context of this study, the words - legislature and parliamentary - both have the same meaning and will be used interchangeably. As the most prominent symbol of government in any polity, Legislature buildings represent tradition, stability and authority (Goodsell, 1988); they embody image or commanding presence of the state (Cope, 2001) and directly or indirectly contribute to shaping people’s everyday life because, in most jurisdictions, substantial functions of government consisting of administration, legislation and dispensing of justice are carried out from legislature buildings. Overwhelmingly, it is the legislative function of government that most legislature or parliamentary buildings are known for. However, that is just one of many functions of legislature buildings. They are artefacts of political culture (Goodsell, 1988), designed to give expression to the perspectives—especially political perspectives— of individuals and groups (Laswell, 1979) and at the same time, evoke ideals of identity, pride and what Indyk (1988) cited in Cope (2001) called the discourse of power. Cover Photo Credit: visitingdc.comBig Ben Clock Tower in Palace of Westminster, London-UK: ...the most prominent symbol of British Parliament. 2 Legislature Buildings and Meanings Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg_ It is stating the obvious that the architecture of legislature buildings possess meanings that evoke memory, provide reference for space and time, induce cultural signi! cance and history while at the same time serves as meaningful symbols that are expressive of tacit messages that people interpret to create communicative realities. The assertion by Cope (2001) about interpreting parliamentary architecture as statements and representations connotes communicative capabilities of legislature buildings. The communicative abilities of legislature buildings are made possible through visible elements of the building. The understanding of these elements re" ected in the composition of the building’s architecture, over the centuries and decades, helped transformed these buildings all around the world from mere structures into symbolic edi! ces with rich heritage value. Like many notable heritage buildings, the symbolic signi! cance of legislature buildings is sustained not only by the legislative function of the building but by the authentic, memorable and impactful disposition of the building with time. Credit: Travel Manitoba / Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - www.cbc.caPancake event on Canada day at the Alberta Legislature Grounds photo: Sam Oboh, 2009. 3 Using the Alberta Legislature as a Case Study In order to achieve focus in developing a full understanding of the communicative capabilities of parliamentary architecture as well as providing a unique perception of how heritage, conservation, communities and sustainable tourism unite, the Alberta Legislature Building is selected as a unit of analysis for this study. The century old, legislature building located in Edmonton is a ! ne example of parliamentary architecture that is authentically styled in classical beaux arts design language. Considering its association with numerous intimate, historic and signi! cant political, cultural, community and social events, the Alberta Legislature Building evokes memory, sense of place, pride and ownership in Albertans. As well, it continues to be an outstanding symbolic focal point with enormous impact not only on the surrounding communities but the province at large. ! e Alberta Legislature Building incorporates several Beaux Arts design features including symmetrical plan and elevation, central dome, classi- cal ornaments, embellishments and detailing. photo: Kasian. 2008photo: fl ickr.com/photos/mschroeter140/3846595825/! e modest Alberta Legislature Building has a visual presence that evokes memory and a sense of place among Albertans. 4 There is a shared understanding among scholars that legislature buildings are designed to make expressive statements. These statements can sometimes be abstract or explicit; however, in an attempt to make meaning out of the expressive statements of the Alberta Legislature Building, the strategic location, design, and construction of the building have been elucidated by well well- documented narratives and anecdote. Through the building’s architecture, ideas, images, statements and thoughts about political culture are often captured in concert with e# orts made at various times by a number of writers to articulate and interpret the expression of the building to the public. While these e# orts lend credence to the authentic, memorable and impactful characteristics of the symbolic Alberta Legislature Building, the full potentials of the building and the site on which it is located are yet to be maximized. This study is predicated on the premise that the image of the legislature building consisting of elements re" ected in the composition of its architecture, when creatively re- interpreted and re-articulated, will not only enrich the community in which the building is located but also enhance the heritage stature of the building and foster an enabling environment for sustainable tourism. Photo Credit: static.panoramio.com 5 Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Tourism As Godsell (1988) noted, parliamentary buildings are the prime symbol of government. They do not merely perform the function of preservation, articulation and formation but steadily preserve cultural values of the polity over time; articulate contemporaneous political attitude and values; and contribute to the formation of political culture such as the Westminster System of government practiced in the Alberta legislature since 1905. This political culture coupled with the architectural heritage inherent in the legislature building conveys a form of Alberta’s cultural heritage. The de! nition of tourism can be broad; so also is the de! nition of cultural heritage. The World Tourism Organization’s (WTO’s) de! nition recognizes tourism as comprising a broad range of activities that goes beyond common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity only. The WTO de! ned tourism as the activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited. The mutual dependence that exists between tourism and cultural heritage is becoming more evident in various parts of the world; thus, the notion of a special interest kind of tourism known as cultural tourism. As noted by Hausmann (2007), cultural tourism is evidently a complex phenomenon that can be de! ned as ‘visits by people from outside the host community, motivated either entirely or to a certain degree by the Credit: albertabrand.com! e United States Capitol Building in Washington DC is the prime symbol of the Government of the United States of America. It is also a magnet and regenerative force for tourism ! e Legislature Building can become Alberta’s brand for tourism. 6 cultural o# erings and values (aesthetic, historical, etc.) of a particular destination’. In this context, cultural o# erings imply more than museums, castles or other historic sites, and include, for example, cultural landscapes, cultural practices, knowledge and living experiences. Filipova (2008) noted that cultural tourism o# ers an aesthetic experience, a spiritual enrichment and an elate attitude to the cultural-historic heritage of the world and provides opportunity for direct communication between people, hence fostering understanding and respect for alien cultures, which adds a new aspect and attractiveness of di# erent destinations. The Alberta Legislature Building with its symbolic and rich heritage signi! cance possesses the potential to o# er value and at the same time, ensure that the experiences o# ered to cultural tourists and visitors are fundamentally authentic. However, this potential has not been attained due to a number of site related weaknesses and challenges. As noted by Wolfensohn (1999) “For too long the range of values provided by culture attributes and artifacts has not been recognized – their role in job creation, social cohesion, tourism, and so on. Cultural preservation and renewal is not a luxury good, something to be done later. It is a productive sector.” This study seeks to promote cultural tourism with the Alberta Legislature Building through creative enhancements, awareness and uniting the building’s heritage attributes with tourism needs. Photo Credit: static.panoramio.comView of Alberta Legislature Building from the South Grounds 7 As Hausmann noted, the key issue in cultural tourism entails linking heritage perspectives with tourism needs and to balance out both interests. As well, UNESCO noted that cultural tourism can encourage the revival of traditions and the restoration of sites and monuments. However, uncontrolled tourism can have the opposite e# ect. As a case in point, the high revenue generating potentials expected from increased visitation and patronage to the Alberta Legislature Building will have to be balanced against the preservation needs of the building. This can be achieved through sustainable management, hence the term sustainable tourism. The concept of sustainable tourism has been derived from the concept of sustainable development as de! ned by the World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission) 1986 report (Our Common Future). The report de! ned sustainable development as development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Although in practice, the de! nition of sustainable development is shrouded with pragmatic challenges such as implementation issues, this de! nition is applicable to sustainable tourism and is also inundated with similar pragmatic challenges. The key to counter the challenges posed by the concept of sustainability lies on how issues such as the level of intervention, communal bene! t, extent of local participation and level of education of visitors are handled. photo: Glenbow Archives, NC-6-527photo: Glenbow Archives, NC-6-12022.Opening of Legislative session at the Alberta Legislature Building in 1913. ...cultural tourism entails linking heritage perspectives with tourism needs and to balance out both interests. photo: City of Edmonton archives. EA-600-2245aSnuggling couple on Legislature south ground park bench. April 9, 1949: ! e Legislature Precinct is associated with intimate social events too... ...tourism as comprising a broad range of activities that goes beyond common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity only. 8 Photo Credit: red bubble.netStudy Process and Conclusion In order to address the issues identi! ed in this document, a study process that will not only create awareness on cultural tourism in the Legislature building but also design concepts and solution that will enhance heritage and sustainable tourism in the Alberta Legislature Building. The design process will be carried out in three distinct phases. The ! rst phase entails data Collection, analysis & planning reviews which includes site walkthroughs, documentary research, analysis and benchmarking of precedent projects as well as review of best practices and stakeholder feedback process. The second phase covers development of preliminary design framework, and prototype design development while the third phase consist of re! ning the prototype design and ! nal reporting. It should be noted that this study will rely on the experience of the authors, published and unpublished literature, personal communication with relevant stakeholders, and other related sources. Site visits would be conducted; however, detailed evaluation of the condition of the legislature building would not be undertaken as part of the study. It is hoped that this study will unite the needs of heritage management with tourism in a sustainable way and particularly how the re- articulation and reinterpretation of elements of the legislature building can play a role in enhancing heritage and sustainable tourism in the Alberta Legislature Building in a symbiotic manner. 9 Schedule The work plan schedule proposed for carrying out this project is a re" ection of the proposed study process outlined in the previous section. The schedule, appended at the end of this section, shows major milestone dates and tasks intended to be a guide towards developing the ! nal design product anticipated at the end of the project. ! e Louvre in France was used to successfully unite heritage with tourism needs September to December 2009 September Project Week 1: Data Collection, Analysis & Planning Reviews Review of Course Project Route Team formation Gathering Background information to aid topic selection Analysis / Scope definition - Meeting with Dr Kirby Wright
Understanding the Issues: narrowing down the issues to a preferred topic Preliminary research to unpack and identify the issues: Finalize and submit report for unpacking the issues
Solicit feedback through e-class Site Walkthroughs and Benchmarking research on precedent projects 2: Development of Preliminary Design Framework develop preliminary design concept based on research and feedbacks
Refine design concept / identifying technology platform Develop preliminary prototype for consideration 3: Prototype Design Refinement / Final Report (Reflection Paper) Refine prototype concepts Presentation of prototype design concept Final report submission / Reflection report Deliverables: Unpacking the Issues (6th week); Draft prototype design documentation (10th week); Reflection report (December 15, 2009) EXT 507 PROJECT SCHEDULE: EDIFICE THAT ENRICH - Enhancing Heritage and Sustainable Tourism through Re-articulation and Re-interpretation of Character Defining Elements of the Alberta Legislature Building Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 8 Week 9 Week 14 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Week 4 Start Sep 7 Dec 15 End Dec Oct 20 Sep 22 Nov 13 - Review with Dr Wright photo: fl ickr.com/photos/woodhead/2629274693/Leveraging the outstanding standard of architecture and rich heritage value of the Legislature building to enhance tourism. 10 References Cope, R. (2001). Housing a Legislature: when architecture and politics meet. British Journal of Political Science, retrieved from http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/pubs/pops/pop37/c08.pdf WTO, (1995). Collection of Tourism Expenditure Statistics. World Tourism Organization. p. 14. retrieved from http:// pub.unwto.org/WebRoot/Store/Shops/Infoshop/Products/1034/1034-1.pdf Laswell, H. (1979). The Signature of Power: Buildings, Communication, and Policy. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Indyk, I. (1988). The Semiotics of the New Parliament House in Parliament House, Canberra: a Building for the Nation, ed. Sydney: Collins. Filipova, M.. (2008). Challenges before teh achievement of a sustainable. Tourism and Hospitality Management, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 311-322 Goodsell. C. (1999). James D. Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank, Great Britain. The Architecture of Parliaments: Legislative Houses and Political Culture Hausmann, A. (2007). Cultural Tourism: Marketing Challenges and Opportunities for German Cultural Heritage. International Journal of Heritage Studies, Vol. 13, No. 2, March 2007, pp. 170–184