The Challenge of the Authenticity of the Work and the Environment Around it in Open-air Museums (Guilan Rural Heritage Museum)

Today, the status and values of architecture and indigenous habitats and their conservation have become increasingly important, and for this reason, the idea of creating open-air museums is expanding. Despite the variety of topics, these museums have one thing in common, and that is the transfer of structures from the original location to the museum. This study is concerned with the main problem as the manner of conserving hidden values such as authenticity when moving the piece from the original location to the open-air museum. Also, with what changes would be made in the authenticity of the work and the environment around it, in terms of principles of architectural conservation, by dismantling and transportation of house components from the original location and reconstructing them in the new space and the museum?

The study aims to investigate the authenticity of the works in open-air museums and the impact of the surrounding environment on the authenticity of their spirit.

This article uses a descriptive-analytical method with documentary and field tools, and experiences obtained from the project of Guilan Rural Heritage Museum. Considering the importance of the subject, this is a fundamental-applied article.

The study found that although by separating an architectural work from its original climate and environment, the authenticity of the work’s spirit and the surrounding environment is distorted, but based on the comprehensive view of the theory of the authenticity of existence (Existentialism), the continuity of the integrated existential movement of the work towards perfection is still sought after. Also, the creation of facilities to preserve and save the body of the work in another place, providing the opportunity for people to get acquainted with architecture, customs and unwritten knowledge of architecture, and its material and spiritual information, thus justifies the change of materials and even the change of use and spatial context of the work.