IN DEPTH

Explore the 2020 Watch Magazine

The latest issue of our annual magazine introduces our 2020 World Monuments Watch sites and features updates from our projects and activities around the world.

2020 Watch Sites

A Batammariba village in Togo, 2016. Photo credit: Damien Halleux Radermecker
Active Project

Koutammakou, Land of the Batammariba

Benin and Togo
Conservation of traditional dwellings will help the Batammariba people remain in their historic homeland and preserve their way of life.
The Ontario Place Cinesphere, Pods, and Lagoon seen from the southwest, 2013.

Ontario Place

Toronto, Canada
A modern mega-structure, currently closed and at risk of redevelopment, can continue to foster exchange across population groups as a recreational center.
Orongo - Mata Ngarau, May 2011
Active Project

Easter Island (Rapa Nui)—Orongo

Easter Island, Chile
Easter Island, a special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, is most famous for the hundreds moai statues scattered throughout its coastline.
The south façade of the building, seen from the open space to its south, 2018.

Alexan Palace

Asyut, Egypt
Local initiative can transform a grand historic residence, now shuttered, into a museum for citizens and visitors to Asyut.
The west front of Notre-Dame of Paris prior to the April 2019 fire, 2018.

Notre-Dame of Paris

Paris, France
The near-loss of a beloved cathedral and global icon reminds us of the depth of human connection to heritage places and the personal trauma that their destruction can bring.
View of the Bennerley Viaduct from the east, 2017.

Bennerley Viaduct

Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, England
Local stewards of a rare survivor of the Industrial Age seek to revive it as a community asset for recreation and access to the natural environment.
The recently restored Keselo fortifications, originally dating from the thirteenth century, 2017.
Completed Project

Tusheti National Park

Georgia
The Tush community seeks to ensure that regional development in eastern Georgia will promote sustainable tourism and will not disrupt their livelihoods.
This colorful 1910 Georges Baussan house was built for the founder of Haiti’s first Chamber of Commerce., February 2009

Gingerbread Neighborhood

Port-au-Prince, Haiti
International collaboration focused on the recovery of the Gingerbread Neighborhood of Port-au-Prince after the devastating earthquake of January 2010.
Bijapur’s Asar Mahal faces a large pool to the east. Photo credit: Joginder Singh.
Active Project

Historic Water Systems of the Deccan Plateau

Karnataka and Maharashtra, India
Revitalization of traditional water management systems and the recovery of local knowledge can help address the water crisis for contemporary communities.
The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium was one of the first folded-plate structures in India, 2018.
Completed Project

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium

Ahmedabad, India
An architectural icon in need of repair can continue to provide opportunities for recreation and access to public space for the residents of Ahmedabad.
Mam Rashan Shrine in Iraq After Reconstruction
Completed Project

Mam Rashan Shrine

Mount Sinjar, Iraq
Reconstruction of a shrine destroyed in a genocidal campaign can establish greater recognition for a minority community that has been denied equality.
The exterior of the Inari-yu bathhouse seen from the street, 2018.
Completed Project

Inari-yu Bathhouse

Kita, Tokyo, Japan
The community behind one of Tokyo's fast-disappearing neighborhood bathhouses seeks to preserve this central element of a traditional way of life while diversifying its use.
A street in Iwamatsu District, 2019.
Active Project

Iwamatsu District

Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture, Japan
Preservation and designation of a historic coastal town built on the legacy of sake brewing can reverse the trend of depopulation.
View of a segment of the Canal Nacional, with the Colorines bridge in the foreground, 2018.
Completed Project

Canal Nacional

Mexico City, Mexico
Community stewards of Mexico's oldest man-made waterway demand a seat at the table as government plans for a new park push forward.
Rural teak farmhouse in Kywe Chin Village, north of Nay Pyi Taw, 2017.
Active Project

Traditional Burmese Teak Farmhouses

Myanmar
Desire for different living standards is causing the wholesale disappearance of a vernacular architectural typology, calling for study and documentation.
The Dund Gate, seen from the first courtyard of the Choijin Lama Temple complex, 2019.
Active Project

Choijin Lama Temple

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Facing deterioration, one of the only temples to survive the country's suppression of religion can benefit from expert preservation assistance.
 A stone chiva with another chiva in the background, 2012.
Completed Project

Chivas and Chaityas of the Kathmandu Valley

Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
Urban growth takes a toll on a vast number of votive shrines throughout the Kathmandu Valley, prompting community members to take action through documentation.
A busy street in the Anarkali Bazaar, 2017.
Completed Project

Anarkali Bazaar

Lahore, Pakistan
A community-led process surrounding development and modernization can improve the quality of life for this urban neighborhood and legendary market in Lahore.
 Ancient terraces near the church in Chinchero, 2017.

Sacred Valley of the Incas

Cusco Region, Peru
A community demands inclusive and equitable solutions as construction of a new airport threatens a rich cultural landscape near Macchu Picchu.
Courtyard house located at 12 Calle Montero, recently converted into a housing cooperative for six families, 2018.

Courtyard Houses of Axerquía

Córdoba, Spain
New solutions will mitigate the effects of depopulation, gentrification, and the boom of the modern tourism industry on this historic urban housing typology
Dwelling at sunrise , 2017.
Active Project

Bears Ears National Monument

Utah, United States
A government plan puts sacred lands and sites of the United States’ indigenous people at risk.
Aerial view of Central Aguirre Historic District towards the south, 2017.
Active Project

Central Aguirre Historic District

Aguirre, Puerto Rico, United States
A training program in wood construction will pave the way for disaster recovery while opening new employment opportunities.
The east façade of the San Antonio Woolworth Building, 2018.
Completed Project

San Antonio Woolworth Building

San Antonio, Texas, United States
A Texas building that contributed to the African-American Civil Rights Movement is threatened by the extension of Alamo visitor resources.
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Bringing awareness to cultural heritage at risk

The 2020 World Monuments Watch is a selection of 25 at-risk cultural heritage sites that combine great historical significance with contemporary social impact. They are facing daunting threats such as encroaching urbanization, political turmoil, natural disaster, and violent conflicts, or they present compelling conservation opportunities. The World Monuments Watch will work with their communities to find solutions. 

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