ABSTRACT
The standardization of the construction industry, which had already started in Europe during the Industrial Revolution, informed the implementation of the Portuguese railway network (Mid of 19th Century onwards). Hence, promoters 1 developed a series of train station types distributed across the country throughout its execution, which represented the rural typifies of railway stations in Portugal. As part of an ongoing Ph.D. investigation, this article aims to provide an insight into how time defines the historical value of a spatial object, or in other words, how the process of attributing value to a structure that not only represents a historical period but can also activate our future? And therefore, informing our spatial awareness?Attributing value to any architectural object is defined by time and (also) defines time itself. It is time that regulates its historical importance, yet the attribution of value does not end there. It is, therefore, outlined by several other attributes, so intrinsically connected to the spatial characteristics of an object, its context, and its cultural roots, which makes it impossible to have a universal consensus or universal heritage valorization system. Consequently, the results presented in this article are not final and definitive findings. Yet, they are the latest findings 2 for one to prove that the Portuguese rural typified railway stations have, in fact, heritage value.
