The UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau, based in Bangkok, has recently launched the 2018 Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. This year’s awards cycle will mark the launch of a three-year partnership with Think City, a Malaysian urban renewal body that will support the programme and host the annual Awards Jury meeting in Penang, Malaysia.

Eligible projects

The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation celebrate exemplary efforts by individuals and organisations to restore or conserve structures, places and properties of heritage value in the region. Winning projects demonstrate a thorough understanding of the place, sound technical achievement and significant social and policy impact. Eligible projects must have been completed within the last 10 years. Houses, commercial and institutional buildings, historic towns and villages, archaeological sites and cultural landscapes, for example, are all suitable for entry. The Awards celebrate in particular the achievement of the private sector and public-private initiatives in successfully conserving or restoring structures, places, properties of heritage value in the region. Winners will be announced in early November 2018 in the following categories: “Award of Excellence”, “Award of Distinction”, “Award of Merit”, “Honourable Mention” and “Award for New Design in Heritage Contexts”. The “Award for New Design in Heritage Contexts” is given to newly-built structures that demonstrate outstanding design which is well-integrated into historic contexts.

Further information

Since the Awards were established in 2000, UNESCO has received 720 entries from 25 countries. A total of 209 projects have received awards in cultural heritage conservation, while 14 have received the Award for New Design in Heritage Contexts (previously known as the Jury Commendation for Innovation). Applications should be submitted by 15 May 2018. For additional information about the 2018 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards, please visit http://bangkok.unesco.org/theme/asia-pacific-heritage-awards