Heritage Unlocked - Flipbook - Page 5
Foreword
In November 2025, Wright & Wright
convened Heritage Unlocked, a
symposium that brought together
leading voices from across architecture,
policy, academia, development, cultural
institutions and community practice.
Hosted in one of Cambridge’s significant
heritage landmarks, the Fitzwilliam
Museum, the event addressed a complex
but timely question: how can protecting
and revitalising heritage assets unlock a
sustainable future for Cambridge and its
wider communities?
As new innovation districts continue
to develop around the city, following
sustained investment in the technology
and bioscience sectors, there is growing
recognition that the historic city centre,
integral to the city’s global identity and
economic success, must not be left
behind. To put the challenge into
context, Cambridge is expanding faster
than any other British city, with a
population increase of 17.3% between
2013 and 2023. Questions of how the
city’s heritage can respond to this
pressure, and support sustained,
responsible growth, are increasingly in
the spotlight.
The discussions that unfolded on the
evening – and continued conversations
with contributors, has made clear that
heritage is not a constraint on progress,
but one of its most powerful enablers.
Across the evening, speakers explored a
wide spectrum of approaches to heritage
stewardship: from adaptive reuse and
strategic masterplanning, to
community-led mapping, policy reform
and digital ethics. What emerged was a
shared understanding that heritage
operates across architectural, cultural
and social registers, and its benefits are
equally wide-ranging. The careful
adaptation and reuse of historic places
can support decarbonisation, stimulate
local economies, improve wellbeing and
reinforce cultural identity.
This White Paper brings together
nine essays developed from those
presentations. Collectively, they reflect
on the particular challenges Cambridge
faces, while also speaking to national
and international debates. Contributors
range from those delivering complex
capital projects in historic contexts, to
policy advocates making the case for
reuse, to cultural leaders reimagining
the role of museums and colleges.
Others expand the definition of heritage
itself, foregrounding intangible cultural
value, lived experience and questions of
truth, context and technology in a
digital age.
Several themes recur throughout the
essays. One is the urgency of climate
change, and the increasing strain on
historic buildings from heat, severe
weather, and material wear. Another is
the need for policy, funding and
governance frameworks that genuinely
support reuse rather than defaulting to
demolition. A third is the importance of
partnership: between institutions and
communities, between conservation
and innovation, and between long-term
stewardship and short-term decisionmaking. As Peter Studdert, former
Director of Planning at Cambridge City
Council, observed, engaging
communities around what they value
locally is central to managing growth in
cities like Cambridge.
Taken together, these essays argue for
a shift in mindset. Heritage should not
be seen as a static inheritance to be
defended at all costs, nor as a niche
concern, but as a dynamic asset.
Heritage Unlocked was both an
articulation of what is at stake and a call
to action. This publication, the third in
Wright & Wright’s series of white
papers, is offered in that same spirit: as
an invitation to think differently about
what we already have and how we might
care for it, collectively, over time.
Opposite: The richly ornate
Founder’s Entrance at the
Grade I listed Fitzwilliam
Museum in Cambridge
provided the ideal setting to
discuss the preservation of
the city’s heritage and culture
Foreword
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