LEGAL ANALYSIS OF CONCEPTS TO COMBINE BUILT HERITAGE PRESERVATION WITH ORGANIZATIONAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL FIRE PROTECTION

Abstract

Fire safety and built heritage preservation are significant topics in engineering and architecture. Meeting the requirements of both issues in a revaluation or reconstruction project often leads to conflicts that hardly can be resolved to the satisfaction of both interests. Thus, for example, on the one side, installation of fire exit signs or the placement of fire extinguishers affect the historical appearance of built heritage. On the other side, these installations are essential for fire safety. The authors inform about requirements from fire safety and built heritage preservation with a focus on German law. They discuss relevant recent research literature as well as rules and regulations. Furthermore, the authors analyze current court cases, focused on the conflict between organizational and technological fire safety installations and the historical appearance of built heritage. The conclusion is that organizational and technological fire protection installations may negatively affect the historical appearance of built heritage. Nevertheless, in acknowledging the importance of both issues for the society, solutions to balance these interests must and can be found.