Monuments are not static objects. They only acquire their significance as places of well-being with the inclusion of their immediate surroundings - and these are constantly changing. This circumstance is taken into account in many ways in the national and cantonal regulations on the protection of monuments. The consequence of such an approach, which expands the monument: Monuments may also be changed. ‍

Within our building landscape, monuments present themselves in many different ways. They can be buildings or groups of buildings and open space facilities such as gardens and parks. Together with their surroundings, these objects create spaces in which people feel comfortable. Cultural objects have a special interrelationship with their surroundings, with their multifaceted neighbors, and cannot be viewed in isolation from their context. In contrast to the monument itself, which as a relatively static element changes only slowly in the course of history, the surroundings are subject to greater pressure to change. This must be taken into account, especially in today's fast-paced world, where issues of densification and quality inward settlement development are being addressed. The importance of the interaction between monuments and their surroundings is taken into account in the relevant national and cantonal regulations for the protection of monuments.

- At the federal level, the inventory of Swiss sites worthy of protection (ISOS) is the most important instrument for the protection of the surroundings. Here, "surrounding zones" and "surrounding directions" are explicitly defined, which are spatially related to the individual objects and groups of buildings worthy of protection.

‍

- The question of the correct handling of the historical context in building projects has also been addressed at the national level by the Federal Commission for the Preservation of Monuments with a policy paper on the "Protection of the Surroundings of Monuments". This basic text points out that a monument relates to its spatial context on various levels and that the surroundings of a monument are an essential part of the actual monument value.

‍
- Based on the cantonal constitution and the current building legislation, the canton of Aargau takes care of the preservation of its cultural assets and in particular protects its townscape, historic sites and monuments worth preserving. In this context, not only the canton, but also the municipalities take measures within the scope of their planning possibilities for the preservation and maintenance of objects of nature and cultural heritage protection, of sites and of cultural monuments.

‍

- At the federal level, the inventory of Swiss sites worthy of protection (ISOS) is the most important instrument for protecting the surroundings. Here, "surrounding zones" and "surrounding directions" are explicitly designated, which are spatially related to the individual objects and groups of buildings worthy of protection.

‍

- The question of the correct handling of the historical context in building projects has also been addressed at the national level by the Federal Commission for the Preservation of Monuments with a policy paper on the "Protection of the Surroundings of Monuments". This basic text points out that a monument relates to its spatial context on various levels and that the surroundings of a monument are an essential part of the actual monument value.

‍

- Based on the cantonal constitution and the current building legislation, the canton of Aargau takes care of the preservation of its cultural assets and in particular protects its townscape, historic sites and monuments worth preserving. In this context, not only the canton but also the municipalities take measures within the scope of their planning possibilities for the preservation and maintenance of objects of nature and cultural heritage protection, of sites and of cultural monuments.

‍

- In order to preserve the effect of outstanding buildings as undiminished as possible, most laws on the protection of monuments

‍

- including the Aargau Culture Act of 2009 - also provide for the so-called protection of the surroundings in addition to the actual protection of the object. This is intended to ensure that the effect of a protected monument is preserved.In the execution of the aforementioned legal principles, the interaction of monument and surroundings should be preserved or even improved. Changes to the surrounding context should preserve the authentic effect of the monument, which, according to recent studies, creates not only an aesthetic but also an economic added value.‍

‍

Protected objects may also be altered ‍

‍

The essential surroundings of a monument usually include the adjacent buildings, the surrounding street space and open spaces such as squares and gardens. In the interest of the greatest possible planning security, the surroundings of cultural objects worthy of protection should therefore be subjected to a detailed analysis at an early stage. By including the most important protection goals in cantonal and communal land use planning, legal certainty is created for planners, owners and authorities. The absence of such provisions complicates the implementation of environmental protection and can lead to cantonal and communal (protection) interests being included too late in the planning process. This must be prevented. Contrary to the common opinion that protected objects and their surroundings must not be touched, changes in the context of a monument are possible.

‍

At any time, settlement structures have been developed, buildings have been replaced by new buildings, and open spaces have been created or changed. From the point of view of monument preservation, the question in most cases is not whether a change is conceivable, but how it can be designed. This aspect has long been part of European building practice. As early as 1913, the Austrian architect Adolf Loos pointed out that "changes in the old way of building" can be made. But this only if they mean an "improvement of the overall situation".

‍

Spaces for well-being ‍

‍

Against the background of the speed of structural changes, it is necessary to deal with the interaction between cultural object and environment. The important elements surrounding monuments must be recognized and taken into account in the constructive planning process. This leads to positive effects on various levels - both for the owner in the sense of an increase in the value of his object and legal and planning security, and for the public in the form of a high quality of settlement and stay. In summary, monuments require an authentic, historically grown context. They require a built homeland that is preserved and developed in a targeted manner, with high quality and in a manner appropriate to the protected object. In this way, spaces for well-being are created for current and future generations.

‍

A contribution to the preservation of our living space‍

‍

Although Switzerland has been spared the devastation of two world wars, the destruction of sites and landscapes has nevertheless set in - not in one fell swoop, but insidiously. The basic idea behind the inventory of Swiss sites worthy of protection (ISOS) is to stop this development or at least to slow it down noticeably. The idea is not to put the old buildings, quarters or even parts of the city under a glass bell jar, but to use them with precise interventions as today's living spaces and to create added value from the combination of old and new.

A successful example of this is the conversion of the old country inn "Zum Bauernhof" in Oberlunkhofen - according to ISOS a site of regional importance worthy of protection, which is strongly influenced by this restaurant. When it came time to renovate the building, which was erected in 1846, it would probably have been easiest for the owner family to abandon the restaurant and convert it into apartments. However, they decided to preserve the traditional restaurant and to expand it with additional premises and guest rooms. This was associated with expensive conditions, because the building is protected in terms of its substance and its local character. According to the inventory, it is "a completely intact representative rural residential building in the sober, simple form characteristic of late classicism, characterized by strictly axially organized facades and striking transverse gable elements. Parts of the Biedermeier interior are preserved."

However, the inventory does not "only" consider the most architecturally valuable houses. Rather, it analyzes entire town centers and quarters, places them in their spatial context and evaluates them in relation to the entire settlement structure. This also includes factory sites, from which the development of industrialized regions in the 19th and 20th centuries can be read. Or large-scale cultural landscapes in which the buildings - small farm groups, stables and barns - cannot be separated from the valley floor or the slopes. In the canton of Aargau, 61 sites are of national importance: more small towns than elsewhere and, among former farming villages, surprisingly interesting objects from the period of early industrialization.

‍