HERITAGE INTERPRETATION STRATEGIES

Heritage Interpretation is more than simply placing a plaque at the front of an historic building.  It can inform the design process for landscaping, public domain areas or to enhance the amenity of the place for future occupants.  Creative interpretation will communicate the values of the place to interested parties, creating a distinctive product for the sales team, as well as informing new occupants and future visitors.

The preparation of a Heritage Interpretation Plan or Strategy is often imposed as a condition of development consent.  GBA Heritage has produced numerous Heritage Interpretation Plans and Strategies to accompany projects associated with listed heritage places in Sydney and elsewhere.

The historic St Barnabas Church was totally destroyed by a devastating fire in 2006, leaving only fragments of architectural detail lying amongst the ruins.  The project for a new church by FJMT Architects required the formulation of a powerful interpretation programme to celebrate the importance of the previous building.  GBA Heritage selected suitable architectural remnants that could evoke this memory, conserving them during the construction phase and worked with the architects to display them in an “archaeological” wall lining the forecourt to the new church, as it is approached from Broadway.  A set of remnant historic gates was also conserved and incorporated into the overall display.

Selected project

St Barnabas Church, Broadway | Architect: FJMT Architects | Photography: Simon Wood Photography