InterSAVE

The initial drive for developing a new survey system was the signing in 1985 of the Granada Convention where the term "architectural heritage" was defined more widely than before, especially "groups of buildings", and which imposes the signatories to maintain inventories and prepare appropriate documentation for the purpose of precise identification of the monuments, groups of buildings and sites to be protected.

Outline of the phases in SAVE.(thumbnail)

That is why the Danish Ministry of Environment and Energy developed the SAVE registration system (Survey of the Architectural Values in the Environment).

The system is a fast way of providing a view of the situation of the architectural heritage in an area which is under change. It is not particularly profound, but on the other hand the fabric of the towns is transformed in a more radical and accelerated way than hitherto known, so the time factor does not allow a procedure of long duration. The procedure should be compared to "rescue excavations", known from archaeology.

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About 1900 the city of Copenhagen was in need of space for its rapidly growing population and industries. Several neighbouring parishes were annexed and a new era of building activity started.
Also areas which had for centuries belonged to the municipality of Copenhagen were utilized for building purposes.
The triangle between Enghavevej, Ny Carlsberg Vej and Sønder Boulevard, Vesterbro, was built according to a plan by the town engineer in 1905.
The 7 blocks are characterized by good access of light and spatious inner yards. Developed structure on level two: Building patterns. Example from the Vesterbro atlas. Photo: Hasse Christensen.

The following principles have been essential in the design of the system:

Flexibility in relation to local conditions.

Establishing of working groups involving local political, economic and other local interests ("NGO´s").

Fixed method and fixed terms.

Fixed time and price.

The whole process is divided into 3 phases, and can be carried out in 9 months for an area containing c. 6000 buildings.

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North of Limfjorden, on the southern slope towards the coast, is situated the old town of Nørresundby, nowadays hidden behind a "wall" of new buildings, mainly connected with the activities of much bigger town of Aalborg on the opposite shore. From the Aalborg atlas.

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Aalborgs southern waterfront is a building pattern characterized by industrial architecture on the western side of the bridge connecting the two parts of the town and the old city centre on the eastern side.
The curved outline of Limfjorden gives an ever changing view of the opposite shore and its buildings.

Before the project is launched the local and the central authority sign an agreement concerning what either part should do. Also what consultant firm should be used to carry out the project.

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The streets can be compared to rooms whose walls are the buildings on either side. In cities where the buildings form continuous rows, this conception is very clear.
The experience of standing in a narrow street is quite different from a broad one. The slightly curved Holbergsgade in Aalborg gives a special effect, a kind of curiosity for new experiences ahead.

An important point is the setting up of a local consultative group consisting of representatives of the local authority (politicians and technical employees), the central authority, the local museum, the local archive, preservation associations and other interest groups. The consultative group meet about 8 times during the project in order to evaluate the work as well as to give supplementary information.

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The local consultative group is composed by representatives of a number of institutions, public and private, interested in the preservation of the valuable buildings and the appearance of the built environment in general.

In the following the text will describe the core methods, while the span of procedures is shown in the illustrations.