Procesos artísticos participativos y colaborativos en los distritos culturales de Burdeos y Nantes

This paper analyses the burgeoning impulse, in the main cultural districts of Bordeaux and Nantes, of participative and collaborative art practices. Such adjectives are not synonymous but, true enough, it is sometimes difficult to differentiate these two categories of relational art; moreover, co-working spaces could literally be considered another kind of collaboration process. All in all, beyond terminology matters, the aim of this essay is to point out the flourishing of combined official and community-based initiatives. A model of arts-led urban revitalisation seeking greater involvement of the local ecosystem shaping a “cultural district”, as alternative to the paradigm of the singular institutional trigger worldly identified with the Guggenheim-Bilbao. Nowadays there are many counter-examples in Bilbao and in French cities on the Bay of Biscay. Este artículo analiza el prolífico impulso en los principales distritos culturales de Burdeos y Nantes del arte participativo y colaborativo. Tales adjetivos no son sinónimos, pero es cierto que a veces es difícil diferenciar estas dos categorías de arte relacional; por otro lado, los espacios de co-working podrían ser designados, al pie de la letra, como otro tipo de proceso de co-laboración. Con todo, más allá de la terminología, lo que pretende esta reflexión es constatar el florecimiento de iniciativas oficiales y de base comunitaria combinadas. Un modelo de revitalización urbana a través de las artes con mayor involucración del ecosistema local formando un “distrito cultural”, como alternativa frente al paradigma del singular detonante institucional mundialmente identificado con el Guggenheim-Bilbao. Hoy día no faltan los contraejemplos bilbaínos y en ciudades francesas del golfo de Vizcaya.

Hong Kong as special cultural zone: Confucian geopolitics in practice

Responding to An, Sharp, and Shaw’s article, ‘Towards Confucian Geopolitics’, I consider how strategies and interpretations of Chinese geopolitics are playing out in Hong Kong with attention to their cultural dimensions. First, I reflect upon the reactions of individuals and the media in the West—specifically Britain—to the protests and street violence that rocked its former colony in the summer of 2019. Second, to reckon with An, Sharp, and Shaw’s contention that the hybridized nature of Chinese geopolitics emerges from its ‘strategic adaptability’, thereby enabling the integration of foreign ideas into Chinese cultural traditions, I offer a brief critique of cultural and infrastructural developments in Hong Kong relating to the West Kowloon Cultural District. Initially intended to showcase local culture and link it into the art world’s global circuits, the megaproject is increasingly being made in China’s image. Third, as a counterpoint to the supposed flexibility of the Chinese geopolitical imagination, I address the ossification of Western geopolitical thought and practice. In order for geographers to build more pluralistic critical geopolitics, engaging with a diversity of geopolitical approaches and their cultural underpinnings is key. For Western nation-states, failing to practice a more hybridized geopolitics may represent a more existential risk.

Renewal and upgrading of a courtyard building in the historic and cultural district of Beijing: Design concept of ‘multiple coexistence’ and a case study

Historic buildings in urban areas are valuable heritage and would require effective design for renovation to upgrade these buildings while preserving their heritage characteristics. This current study evaluated renovation requirements: loss of natural and spatial characteristics, single function and lack of building facade design, of a courtyard building in a Beijing historical district. Limitations of the ‘multiple coexistence’ design concept were analysed to fully achieve integration of historical, cultural, social, educational, commercial and economic values while preserving their natural characteristics. Intelligent control strategy and equipment can reshape the spatial lay out and natural environment, to enhance the building function and social value. The design strategy of the skylight to be installed in the courtyard was evaluated by simulation in this study. CFD simulation results show that the air temperature in the courtyard can increase 20% by incorporating a skylight that can be automatically closed in winter. During the summer, the skylight would be open to largely reduce the average air temperature by 1.2°C. The visual impact of external equipment can be mitigated by adding decoration to the courtyard facade. The findings should inform future development of a new design concept, to provide design paradigms for the renewal and renovation of similar historic buildings.

Research on Sustainable Development of Historical and Cultural District in Tunxi Old Street of Huangshan with Micro-Regeneration Concept

As the most influential commercial port center of ancient Huizhou, Tunxi Old Street is an important material carrier of Hui culture. In the current optimization of urban stock, it is faced with problems such as the decline of regional culture and the homogeneity of spatial form. By combing the historical evolution and value characteristics of Tunxi Old Street, introducing the concept of microregeneration, exploring the strategy of micro-regeneration of historical and cultural districts, this paper realizes the sustainable development of district from three dimensions of urban venation restoration, node space activation and building characteristics shaping, which can provide reference for the regeneration of other historical and cultural districts.

Research on the Perception of Historical District of Eight Great Passes in Qingdao Based on Online Travel Notes

In recent years, the protection mode of historical blocks has changed from simple material protection to comprehensive protection integrating various factors, and more and more attention has been paid to the role of human perception. How to pay attention to the practical experience of consumers while protecting has become the main problem. This paper studies the tourists' perception of historical district of Eight Great Passes in Qingdao by using the method of network text analysis, and carries out word frequency analysis, semantic network analysis and emotional analysis on the online travel notes by Rost CM6, so as to comprehend the current situation of tourists' perception of different dimensions of Eight Great Passes historical and Cultural District in Qingdao, and find out the problems in its development as well as put forward the sustainable development strategies

PROGETTO DI ISTITUZIONE DI DISTRETTI CULTURALI EUROPEI. IL DISTRETTO CULTURALE GOMOSAICO DI GORIZIA

It is here presented the hypothesis of establishing European cultural districts. Its purpose is to systematically valorize the cultural heritage of their territories end their people. The proposal is innovative with contribution to economic and civil life. A cultural district with Gorizia as capital is given as significant exemple. Its importance is that it originates from the tradition of ancient Aquileia and that is meeting point between three very important ethnic groups: Latin, German, Slavic. It is a district of symbolic value also for the enhancement of the strategic axis for Europa “Mitteleuropa-Mediterranean”.