A culture called Adaptive Reuse
Along the waterfront of Hamburg, The Kaispeicher A was a cocoa factory designed in 1966 by Werner Kallmorgen to bear the weight of thousands of heavy sacks of cocoa. The brick façade of the 8-storey warehouse building has a new hat to wear, a shiny 18-storey glass concert hall. The retrofit designed by Herzog & de Meuron has over a 1000 glass windows that are curved, curved escalator from the main entrance at the east side connects the ground floor with an observation deck, the Plaza, at the 8th floor, which is the top of the brick section.
Adaptive Reuse is the ideology that suggests the of repurposing anything to assume a new function in order when it can no longer serve it’s intended purpose. It is a strategy that has been used widely in conservation practices. In architecture, especially, Adaptive reuse has been regarded as the more economically viable model of conservation since it allows for the building to be self-sustained with an economic activity added to it.
Adaptive reuse helps cities hold on to buildings that are just too beautiful to be given up for something new. The practice of adaptive reuse has been used for several years in India in the case of palaces that are used as hotels, and homes with heritage value have been used as event spaces and museums.
The culture of adaptive reuse also promotes the cause of sustainable design since it emphasizes on utilizing resources to their fullest potential. India has been catching up on the trend effectively since the country is dotted with several heritage buildings that are begging for care. Giving these buildings a fresh lease of life, and adding value to the economy, this practice kills two birds with one stone.
In Rajasthan in India, havelis have been converted into hotels, allowing the tourist to experience what an authentic royal experience feels like. The Fateh Prakash Palace in Udaipur has been restored to its former glory of a majestic palace since it has been converted to a hotel.
The Agraharam streets of Mylapore has a new image to it other than being a thriving residential area. The house in which Mahakavi Subramania Bharathiyar lived has been converted to a museum, freezing in time, not just the vestiges of the great scholar of Tamil Literature, but also of the lifestyle that once was. The museum receives footfall from all walks of life, from students of art, architecture and literature, from Tamil enthusiasts, from patriots and from the pioneer generation of India that wish to reminisce upon their times.
We all hear successful stories of adaptive reuse, where a building assumes a new meaning as an accolade to the purpose it has already served. It is important to identify buildings that potential for a prolonged life, and make the best use of it.