Laos In step with restoration

Transcription

1 Architecture 1 Laos In step with restoration The Vat Phou archaeological area: preservation plan for the UNESCO World Heritage Site Maurizio Boriani, Susanna Bortolotto, Mauro Cucarzi, Patrizia Zolese* S ince 1990 the Carlo Maurilio Lerici Foundation founded at the in 1947 has been carrying out archaeological research, conservation activities and staff training in the province of Champasak (southern Laos), ancient Khmer kingdom and integral part of Cambogia until the fifteenth century. The Foundation has promoted specialized research in several disciplines in this area of Southeast Asia, previously foreign to our study tradition, contributing to the formation of new skills and competencies, thanks to conventions with various institutions of both Italian and other nationality. Preceding investigations and explorations in the area go back to the French colonial period in Indochina and, with the exception of a few monuments, little was known of the ancient layout of the region. In the absence of an archaeological map, research carried out by the Italian mission in Champasak province at the end of the nineties focused above all on exploring and analyzing the territory, and on the changes brought about in the area by human activity and by nature between the fifth and the fifteenth centuries, essentially to contex- 44 tualize the monuments and archaeological ruins in a wide historical framework. The research project Cities, sacred structures and communication routes in the Champasak province was undertaken thanks to contributions from the Italian Cultural Relations Office, the Italian Foreign Ministry and to the collaboration of the Lao Ministry of Culture. Reconstructing the stages of formation, development and decline of the Khmer civilization in the ancient kingdom of Chenla and studying communication routes and urbanization processes associated with socio-economic events has led to a different interpretation of the architectural, historical and artistic background to the sacred monuments. The main complex of monuments in Champasak province is the Vat Phou site. The complex, built during different historical periods between the seventh and fourteenth century, was dedicated to Shiva, one of the main Hindu and Khmer divinities and particularly venerated because of his association with the power of sovereigns. It consists of several buildings dedicated to worship, which underlined the sacredness *Maurizio Boriani Full Professor of Architectural Conservation, Susanna Bortolotto Assistant Professor of Architectural Conservation, Mauro Cucarzi Director, Lerici Foundation, Patrizia Zolese Archaeologist, Lerici Foundation, 45

2 1 2 1 View of the Vat Phou archaeological area from above and prestige of the area and were erected over 3 sq. km. The ceremonial center is situated between the sacred mountain Lingaparvata, symbolising the home of the gods, and the left bank of the Mekong river. The main sanctuary lies on a natural terrace, accessible from the plain below via a ceremonial road. The pathway, which becomes steeper and steeper as it rises, is flanked by access palaces, buildings for prayer and accommodation for the royal processions, artificial water basins (or barays) and libraries of sacred texts. All the buildings integrate harmoniously with the surrounding countryside. Between the tenth and twelfth centuries, at the height of Angkor power, the place was amply extended as can still be seen today. Among its other activities conducted over the years in the Vat Phou area, the Italian Archaeological Mission has drawn up a general site plan of the area with a survey map, and has mapped the archaeological risks for the first city to be referred to as an ancient city. In 1997, the Lao government requested that Vat Phou and the sites discovered during the research project be registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Lerici Foundation collaborated in drawing up the Master Plan for UNESCO and the Lao government (Capacity Building in Cultural Resource Management through the Preparation and Implementation of a Conservation and Management Master Plan, for the Preservation of Vat Phou and Surrounding Archaeological Landscape within a Framework of Sustainable Development of Champasak, Lao PDR). Such a document is essential to the safeguarding and management of an archaeological and environmental park of 400 sq.km. The area was designated World Heritage in The unique history and archaeology of the area coincides with its cultural landscape, almost unchanged for about 1500 years: a complex mixture of monuments and archaeological and natural factors in which current human activities intertwine. The Italian contribution, in terms of research, conservation and training, has left its mark: a site museum was set up in 2003 (around 90,000 visitors per year); the roughly 300 meter-long ceremonial road has been dug up and restored, leading from the great basin used for sacred ablutions right into the sacred area. Since 2006, a project has been running in conjunction with the Department of Architectural Design, for the consolidation and restoration of one of the buildings in the monument complex: the Nandin Hall. The purpose of the project is to train conservation-orientated architects, archeologists, engineers and functionaries in the local Ministry of Culture, in the application of correct methodology in the field of restoration and conservation. The chosen monument, the Nandin Hall, probably dedicated to the library, opens onto the ceremonial road and is positioned south of the sacred area. A similar example to this building can be found in Angkor, at the Bayon temple. The rectangular architectural construction, built in dry sandstone and orientated on a North- South axis, is 25m long and 7.50m wide. The wide platform at its base supports the body consisting of three intercommunicating rooms with windows opening only towards the East. The body of the building opened onto two porches on the North and South walls, adorned with sandstone columns supporting the timber beams of a terracotta tile roof. After the site was abandoned, which occurred around the fifteenth century, the Nandin Hall was reutilized and in part altered by the new communities which replaced the Khmer: the Buddhist Lao and Thai. Later completely abandoned, the monument has been seriously damaged by the sub-tropical climate. In particular, the uncontrolled growth of trees, whose roots have found easy lodging between the blocks, has caused important cracking and even collapse in parts. The absence of roof covering as well as the loss of a significant horizontal connection has allowed the abundant monsoon rainfall to percolate and filter through the flooring slabs and erode the laterite foundations of the building causing general instability, especially in the southern part where the foundations have undergone the most serious damage. Activities carried out in 2006/2007 included extensive and detailed surveys both of Nandin Hall and the surrounding area. The purpose of this was to understand the exact geometry complexity of the building and the underlying terrain in order to undertake a conservation project in full awareness. In the Nandin Hall conservation project guide- Highlight 3 2 Nandin Hall Temple during surveying 3 Nandin Hall Temple work group: archaeological excavations and surveying Deterioration and Structural Integrity analysis of Nandin Hall The survey of the geometry, material and construction stages elevations stratigraphic reading provided a solid knowledge base on which to set up an analysis of degradation and structural integrity. The structural behaviour assessment of Nandin Hall considered analyses relative to: the topographical context reading (highlighting the slopes and phases of rainwater erosion); a series of stratigraphic archaeological tests in proximity to the foundations of the monument and to the ceremonial road; the variation in inclination of the façades and wall sections; the horizontal nature of the lines of the platform floors and the movements and rotations of the base stones

3 4 7 Topographical reading. The survey shows land erosion of about one metre from North - contour line shown in red - to South - in blue, (topographic survey, Mauro Cucarzi, engineer, Lerici 8 3D model of Nandin Hall and surrounding area (Lab. Dia., D.P.A., Politecnico di Milano) 4 Architectural types in the old town of Champasak. Key: : Shop-house from the French period (building with ground floor shop and dwellings above); : homes of the royal family and members of the aristocracy; 11: Vat Thong Temple library; 12: Vat Muangsen Temple; 13: Public building from the French period 5 Current use of buildings and infrastructure in the old town of Champasak. The red line highlights the existing road which, according to the plan currently in force, will become the course of the new high impact road system infrastructure 6 Proposed new provisions for territorial use and to safeguard the old town of Champasak. In particular, we propose moving the new road system infrastructure beyond the sites of the old settlement and those of more recent spontaneous development (the proposed course is indicated in magenta) 5 6 lines it was decided not to dismantle the central part piece by piece, but to keep it whole, maintaining the important levels of its various floors (platforms, external pavements and internal flooring). To date, the northern and central areas of Nardin Hall have been restored by partial anastylosis and, where absolutely necessary, the damaged laterite blocks have been replaced. About 400 fallen blocks in the surrounding area have been repositioned and door and window frames broken through structural subsidence have been repaired. Reassembly of the building and material used in replacing some of the laterite blocks are true to Khmer techniques. In fact the new blocks were recovered from a nearby cave. The Master Plan of the UNESCO site provides for various degrees of protection with respect to the archaeological sites, monument complexes, areas of natural interest and those of symboliclandscape value. The parameters of the areas to be respected have been drawn up and their designation as World Heritage has raised awareness and a sense of responsibility among the Lao authorities and spurred other European countries as well as Italy, e.g. France, and non-european countries, for example Japan and India, to take part in the management and conservation of the Park. Italian activity does not only concern the conservation and restoration aspects. It also extends to the field of urban planning. By direct request from the Head of the Champasak District, Mr. Sipaseuth Sensavath, the Governor of the Province, Mr. Sonsay Siphandone, and thanks to timely collaboration from the Italian Department of Architectural Design, the UNESCO site Master Plan has been implemented in the form of a town plan study of the ancient settlement of Champasak, in view of the planned construction of an important road artery between the provincial capital, Paksè, and Champasak itself. This artery will provide a faster overland connection between Laos and southern Thailand in the North and northern Cambogia in the South. However, although from an economic and infrastructure point of view this 7 8 TECHNICAL DATA Nandin Hall Conservation Project The conservation project includes the following stages: clearing the site and monument of infesting vegetation (macro and micro flora); removal and ordering of fallen sandstone and laterite blocks belonging to the monument and found around the building; accurate surveying of the monument, stone by stone with level dimensioning; numbering and partial dismantling of the walls, indexing each single stone; consolidation of exposed foundations, scuci e cuci (indenting) with laterite blocks, patching with mortar and cocciopesto (crushed earthenware mixed with lime and sand); installation of a collector to collect and expel rainwater in porch covered areas; restoration and reassembly of sandstone blocks: anastylosis; reshaping of slopes around the temple to avoid erosion by rainwater

4 9 Building plan: horizontal section (Lab. Dia., D.P.A., ) Analysis of building stages (Lab. Dia., D.P.A., Politecnico di Milano) Deterioration and structural integrity readings (Lab. Dia., D.P.A., ) 12 Incline variations of wall sections to a perpendicular axis, shown in red. The figure at the top indicates the distance from zero (Lab. Dia., D.P.A., ) is of considerable importance, its impact on the protected area could be devastating. This important communication route is very strongly desired by the Lao government and also by foreign private investors, but it will cause no few problems if it runs through the old town centre of Champasak, since this area lies within the boundaries safeguarded by the UNESCO site of Vat Phou and is particularly vulnerable to operations of high anthropic impact. The main feature of the urban area is that it stretches out along a North-South line, parallel to the Mekong river, for approximately 4km. It consists of a raised area the partly natural and partly artificial river banks, the parallel main road of the town, and an inner strip of land irregularly interrupted by excavations perpendicular to the river. Most of the buildings have been constructed along both sides of the main road on the raised area. Parallel to this, enclosing the houses built on the mountain side of the main road, lies a dirt track which, with the exception of a ceremonial area comprising the Buddhist temple complex of Vat Thong and a disused hotel, delimits both the urban area and the beginning of an inhospitable, unhealthy, low-lying area, unfit for human habitation. The new road envisaged in the urban plan currently in force runs along the course of this secondary road. The on-field feasibility assessment for the new artery faced the problem of compatibility between the proposed road works and the historical and archaeological complex of Vat Phou, as well as the surrounding natural and cultural landscape. Moreover, the heavy impact of the new road system, too close to the residential area with consequent risks for the local population, remained an unknown factor. With the presence of the UNESCO site, particularly over the past few years, the urban area seems increasingly to be moving towards the creation of hospitality-orientated services. This mainly takes the form of small, family run, bed & breakfast facilities. Such large infrastructure so near the old town centre would inexorably jeopardize a development of this kind. In order to verify the condition of the locations and their peculiarities, which would back up the proposal for a different collocation for the proposed road, a detailed analysis has been carried out highlighting both the architectural evidence and the widespread use of traditional buildings on wood and bamboo stilts. Thus the analytical tables focus on the architecture of the old town centre 13 Checking the trueness of the horizontal planes of the base platform; the blue line running from north to south indicates an approximate 30 cm incline of Nandin Hall (Lab. Dia., D.P.A., ) 50 51

5 Meeting safety requirements and numbering stone blocks. Dismantling the north-facing interlocking window (Photo archives, Lerici Dismantling the floor of the north-facing portico. Dott. Patrizia Zolese and architect Mara Bandoni on site (Photo Restoration work (Photo and on the relationship between buildings and their context. Alongside the census of religious architecture and French colonial buildings, detailed surveys have also been carried out on traditional wooden and bamboo dwellings, together with a study of the evolution of this particular building type. In spite of the difficulties caused by the uncertainty of the cartography available, we went on to map the presence and distribution of the buildings recorded within the built up area, forming homogeneous zones. On another scale, relationships with context were highlighted seeking to safeguard outlooks of high scenic value both towards the mountains and towards the river. Areas to designate for possible future residential, tourist and mixed expansion were thus identified with their relative dimensions, together with a proposed new positioning of road infrastructure suggesting that this should be moved further away from the urban area, keeping the North-South direction. During the 1970s, South-East Asia lost a generation of teachers to war and genocide. Therefore, alongside the scientific work, an ongoing training project has been started which has already trained personnel in various disciplines, and will continue to do so over the next few years. With the aim of setting up a conservation plan management based on various factors and competencies art, archaeology, architecture, environment and social economy, to name just a few calling for fully-trained, specialized staff, the Lerici Foundation and the are running an ambitious project to set up the most important School of Archaeology and Conservation in South-East Asia North platform: before and after operations (Photo archives, Lerici 25 Temporary covering, on annual site closing, after restoration of the northfacing portico. (Photo archives, Lerici Study and use of Khmer techniques to move and position sandstone blocks during conservation operations, using a lever in existing boreholes (drawing and photo, Lerici Foundation archives) 28 Cerimonial road towards the sacred mountain (Lingaparvata) before restoration by the Lerici Foundation, Politecnico di Milano (Photo 29 Inauguration of the Nandin Hall site with the Governor of Champasak province, Mr. Sonsay Siphandone and dott. Patrizia Zolese (Photo, I. Comin) 30 Cerimonial road towards the baray (artificial basins) after restoration (Photo Team Leaders Patrizia Zolese, Lerici Foundation: Vat Phou Project Director Mauro Cucarzi, Lerici Foundation: Director Maurizio Boriani, Chairman CCVBC - Centre for the Conservation and Enhancement of Cultural Heritage, : Scientific Coordination Susanna Bortolotto, D.P.A. - Department of Architectural Design, and Lab. Dia - Diagnostics Laboratory for the Conservation and Reuse of Buildings, : Manager Team Margherita Bertoldi, Isabella Comin, Micol Dell Orto, Piero Favino, Marta Marletti, Roberta Mastropirro, Maria Cristina Palo, Silvia Puglisi, Camillo Sangiorgio, Chiara Tettamanti Lerici Foundation Mara Landoni, Restoration Manager Vat Phou, Laos In collaboration with: Phakhanxay Sikhanxay, architect (Ministry of Information and Culture, Vientiane, Laos): National project Co-ordinator Thonglith Luangkhot, archeologist (Ministry of Information and Culture, Vientiane, Laos) Pierre Pichard, conservationist EFEO (École Française d Extrême- Orient, France) Dang Khanh Ngoc, architect (Institute for Conservation of Monuments, Ministry of Culture and Information, Hanoi, Vietnam) 52 53