Sustainability Methodologies for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage: Highlights on the Most Relevant Standards
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Tourism, Culture, and Heritage".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 13 November 2025 | Viewed by 5973
Special Issue Editors
Interests: diagnostic studies on deterioration of built heritage and wall paintings; in laboratory assessment of innovative materials appropriate for heritage objects; cleaning consolidation and protection of heritage objects
Interests: climate change; indoor and outdoor microclimate; cultural heritage
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: cleaning consolidation and protection of heritage objects
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
A scientific approach is nowadays essential for the conservation of tangible cultural heritage and for the preservation of its significance for present and future generations. Only thanks to a sound scientific knowledge of the materials constituting the artefact and their environmental and conservation conditions it is possible to intervene properly for the realization of the conservation plan.
To acquire a common unified scientific approach to the problems relevant to the preservation and conservation of cultural heritage is essential to promote a specific European standardisation activity which would help conservation professionals in their restoration and conservation work, ensuring at the same time the possibility for European experts to exchange information on test and analyses methods for the conservation of cultural heritage.
Standards contribute to use sustainability methodologies for preservation of tangible cultural heritage. The widespread dissemination of the published standards is especially addressed to stakeholders of cultural heritage (monuments, buildings, museums, archives, libraries and collections) such as conservation scientists, conservator-restorers, architects, custodians, archaeologists, engineers, planners, craftsmen, energy advisers, national authorities, transport and insurance companies, etc.
Some of the research areas involved are on
- Microclimate in relation to the appropriate environmental conditions for conservation of heritage objects in museum and collection centres;
- Stone decay and conservation of historic buildings
- Cleaning methodologies of heritage objects
- Consolidation of deteriorated built heritage
- Decay and conservation of archaeological woods and historic timber structure
Some suggested (not exhaustive) themes of papers
- Protection and conservation of works of art in the exhibition configuration and during handling and transport.
- European standards to evaluate cleaning operations for built heritage.
- European standards to evaluate the performance of surface protective substances for historic buildings and wall paintings.
- European standards for moist archaeological woods – theoretical aspects and applications.
- European standards on the environmental physical parameters for the preservation of heritage objects.
- Future perspective for the ISO TC349 Cultural Heritage Conservation: from European to International standards
Prof. Dr. Vasco Fassina
Prof. Dr. Dario Camuffo
Dr. Antonio Sansonetti
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- microclimate for cultural heritage
- built heritage: decay and conservation
- CEN TC 346 conservation of cultural heritage
- EN standards
- collections of heritage objects, historic buildings consolidation and protection
- waterlogged wood, case studies
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