The development of the concept of architectural heritage conservation and its inspiration

Abstract Over recent decades, heritage conservation has developed in concept and scope. This paper uses a systematic literature review approach to collect charters and documents on heritage conservation issued by UNESCO and ICOMOS, divided into two periods, before 2000 and from 2000 to the present, for analysis from a qualitative perspective. The study results show that the scope of architectural heritage is expanding, and the definition of conservation is changing from individual to holistic conservation and from holistic to sustainable conservation. The focus of conservation has evolved from tangible to intangible attributes. The changing scale of conservation, from object to landscape, incorporates a more comprehensive range of heritage values, and the status of conservation has changed from static to living conservation. This study systematically structures the development of the concept of architectural heritage conservation, providing insight in the international field of architectural heritage conservation and encouraging reflection on the conservation of architectural heritage in historic cities.