Reinventing the abandoned and the neglected

Adaptive use of industrial architecture: Reinventing the
abandoned and the neglected


"In our urban environments; local, national and global – on all continents - we see increased juxtapositions between the existing, and the new, the innovative and even the [what may appear as] impulsive, or outlandish. Each neighbourhood has their own gems, whether they are rogue or hidden, or even long forgotten, run down or demolished.

We must remember that people have connections to
buildings and that buildings have served in a different capacity in the past, then may have been left to step back to make way for the new and the bigger, the bolder or economically or politically more viable architecture and infrastructure.

Whilst many [buildings] have been demolished and replaced by new schemes, many remain on death row awaiting demolition, or if lucky; a new future, a new purpose, a total repair and reinvention.

Industrial buildings can be particularly challenging, however many rewarding and successful projects are derived from the original use of buildings and their heritage.

Industrial buildings are particularly interesting due to their robustness and large open plan spaces,
inviting opportunities. In this essay, I discuss some of these projects; industrial buildings that are reinvented for new use, whilst respectfully celebrating their architectural and industrial heritage".

Heidi Saarinen

C3
Feb 2018