Preservation Review

The preserved buildings form an important part of our cultural heritage and history. This review marks the first time in the history of the Building Preservation Act that we are carrying out such a comprehensive and systematic review of preservation values. We perform this systematic review by being on-site in connection with other tasks in the area. Traveling in such a large country presents significant financial and time challenges. The preservation review will provide us with better knowledge about the preserved buildings, which will make the preservation orders more understandable.

First time in the history of preservation

In the coming years, the Greenland National Museum & Archives (NKA) will systematically review the country's preserved buildings. They will describe and assess each building to clarify the basis for its preservation and subsequently develop a forward-looking action plan for each one. The purpose is to gain more knowledge about the architectural and cultural-historical values that form the basis for the preservations and to increase awareness of the preserved buildings throughout the country.

Based on the preservation review, we will offer building owners of preserved buildings individual action plans for their buildings. The action plan will guide which works you should carry out to maintain or restore the building's preservation values. The action plan will include an overview of works to be carried out within a period of years, for example, within 3, 5, or 10 years, allowing the building owner to plan renovation and restoration with ample notice. This approach also makes managing finances more manageable for the building owner, as it becomes easier to plan future construction work and allocate financial resources in good time.

Building Culture 2015

Realdania Byg and the Agency for Culture (Kulturstyrelsen) focus on preservation-worthy buildings to strengthen and future-proof the management of built heritage. They also create new knowledge, new networks, useful tools, and entirely new ways of disseminating information to owners and municipalities.

Historic Houses in Ilimanaq

Realdania Byg is currently implementing a major project with Avannaata Municipality and World of Greenland, which will help disseminate the area's natural and cultural heritage. The purpose is to create a sustainable basis for growth and progress for the settlement, focusing on tourism.

Realdania Byg has acquired two preserved houses in Ilimanaq. These houses, dating from the period 1751–1770, will play a crucial future role in disseminating Kalaallit Nunaat world and cultural heritage, focusing on the preservation and reuse of built heritage. They will restore and convert the two preserved houses into a dissemination center, a restaurant, and a shop.

You can get further information about the project on Realdania Byg's website.

Work with Preservation-Worthy Buildings and Environments in the Towns

We need to develop and build up knowledge, methods, and tools for the future joint management of preservation values. NKA will assist with advice on methods for building registration, among other things.

Here are some good reasons to put built cultural heritage on the agenda:

1. Attract settlement and business, and retain and attract labor.
2. Foster local cohesion around life and values from the past and strengthen the municipality's identity.
3. Built heritage creates value when it provides the framework for activities—create life in the buildings.

We must make the forgotten stories visible and inform the owners of preservation-worthy buildings about the value they possess. This involves inspiring new uses—it is often not the buildings that are obsolete, but the attitude toward them that requires renewal.

Many preservation-worthy houses are just as essential as the preserved ones for the cultural environment in which they are included. Nevertheless, we observe that preservation-worthy buildings undergo significant changes in towns as new, smart, and cheap building materials become available in building markets, and the buildings risk completely losing their preservation value.