A Study of Techniques for Moving Traditional Buildings and Their Role regarding the Historic Preservation Movement in Taiwan

Abstract

The concept of saving a building from destruction by moving it is nothing new. But with creative thinking and passion, traditional techniques have played a new role in Taiwan. This study reveals that both “Community Development by Participation” and the “Historic Preservation Movement” between the 1980s and 1990s offered the opportunity for the transformation of techniques for moving endangered buildings. The reasons for their success are not only the fostering of a subjectively supportive atmosphere, but also the advantages offered by the techniques themselves. Based on low-tech and economical principles, moving buildings became an acceptable alternative to demolition. Moreover, its participation-friendly character also encouraged citizens to become actively involved in the building-moving process. Thus, building-moving techniques have played an important role in the historic preservation movement in Taiwan over the past ten years by, among other things: 1. The establishment of a participatory platform: The application of the available techniques provided opportunities for negotiation and communication between private and public sectors. With this advantage, the crisis of demolition was delayed, while the participatory platform was taking shape. 2. The concept of “Temporary Revitalization”: As the technology to move buildings expanded, the concept of extracting a building from the threatened site and then returning it to its original location emerged. Between removing the building and replacing it, its “revitalization#x201D; as a temporary exhibition space providing a window for future development was invented. © 2006, Architectural Institute of Japan. All rights reserved.