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February 20, 2015

A Message from President Bonnie Burnham

The year 2015, World Monuments Fund's 50th anniversary, is also a milestone for me personally as I mark 30 years at the helm of WMF. In discussion with the Board of Trustees I have concluded that this is the ideal time for a new leader to take my place, and I have decided to retire from my position as President of WMF before the end of the year.

February 12, 2015

“Zona de Frontera,” Cultural Park and Buffer Zone at the Chan Chan Archeological Site

"Zona de Frontera” is a cultural park and buffer zone surrounding the perimeter of the Chan Chan archeological site in Peru. This area is under a constant threat from urban expansion and illegal occupation.

February 04, 2015

An Update on the Status of Battersea Power Station

Battersea Power Station was returned to World Monuments Fund's 2014 Watch list ten years after it was first included. On both occasions the building was nominated by Battersea Power Station Community Group (BPSCG), which has campaigned for the preservation of the building since 1983 when the defunct generating station was sold by state-owned Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) to the first of a series of private owners.

January 29, 2015

Building the Future: The Role of Heritage in the Sustainable Development of Yangon

From January 15 to 17, 2015, World Monuments Fund (WMF), in cooperation with the Yangon Heritage Trust (YHT) and with generous support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and the Asian Cultural Council, hosted a forum in Yangon titled "Building the Future: The Role of Heritage in the Sustainable Development of Yangon."

January 22, 2015

Localized Capacity Building for Protecting Syrian Cultural Heritage

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) reported last month that 290 Syrian cultural heritage sites have been damaged since fighting broke out in the country in 2011.

January 07, 2015

Cerro Sechín and the 2014 Watch: An Opportunity for Change

In Andean prehistory, Cerro Sechín represents the link between the Kotosh religious tradition (2500–200 B.C.) and Chavin civilization (800–200 B.C.). The site is part of a string of exceptional monuments in the Casma Valley, such as Sechín Bajo, the oldest known temple in the New World; Sechín Alto, the largest construction of its time in the western hemisphere; and Chankillo, America´s earliest known solar observatory.

January 06, 2015

In Memoriam: Ricardo Porro

I met Ricardo Porro in June 2002 in Cuba, during a visit of the National Art Schools in Cubanacán, Havana, during an Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture international conference.

December 17, 2014

Stabilizing Przysucha Synagogue in Poland

Seven years ago the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland (FODZ) became the owner of the eighteenth-century synagogue in Przysucha, a small town between Krakow and Warsaw. In 2009, FODZ began efforts to revitalize the historic building in order to serve the needs of visiting Jewish groups and the local community.

December 15, 2014

World Monuments Watch Day: Shikarpoor Enlivens to Renewed Pride and Raised Hopes

World Monuments Fund’s initiative of celebrating heritage with local communities at 2014 Watch sites sparked a renewed sense of pride and hope among residents of Shikarpoor and its community of heritage supporters.

December 05, 2014

Re-Envisioning the Mughal Riverfront Gardens of Agra: Heritage and the Community

The central philosophy guiding the Agra Mughal gardens project, in partnership with the Archaeological Survey of India, is that restoration works will benefit nearby local communities socially, economically, and culturally. Weaving together the aspirations of the communities with the development of heritage sites will allow for heritage to become a driver for overall development in the area.

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