Last week Movehut News reported that celebrities, including actor Hugh Grant, had added their names to a petition calling on Chelsea and Kensington Council to reject plans that would lead to the loss of a Chelsea pub. Now a group of Kingston University architecture students, concerned by the number of the capital’s pubs under threat, has called for the London Public House to be granted UNESCO World Heritage status as a “type.”
The idea stems from an architectural project based on London pubs which raised questions, not only about the physical fabric of the buildings, but also about occupation and community. This resulted in a 350 page document, submitted to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which seeks to define the generic qualities and “intangible heritage” of “London pub-ness.”
The prospect of London pubs gaining heritage status shouldn’t be dismissed. Precedents already exist for the listing of “types” – in UNESCO terms “serial sites” – including the modernist housing estates of Berlin and the coffee houses of Vienna. To join these on the list of types with World Heritage status, it must be demonstrated that London pubs possess “outstanding universal value.”
The criteria for this are very specific. To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must meet at least one of ten requirements which include;
While it’s unlikely that UNESCO will be persuaded that London pubs represent a masterpiece of creative genius, and any reported phenomena may be a result of over-indulgence, it’s not inconceivable that they may be judged to meet the criteria of any of the latter three categories.
There is no denying that many pubs are outstanding buildings. They are also deeply connected to cultural identity and a tradition spanning generations. They may also be described as a site of human interchange. Whether this is enough to halt the rapid decline in their numbers remains to be seen.
Do you believe that London pubs deserve to be granted UNESCO World Heritage status and, if so, why not Preston, Portsmouth and Potteries pubs too? Share your thoughts with us below.
Previous Post
Demand for Retail Space Continues to Fall
