The pages within are filled with practical insights, including information on the latest features of contemporary renovations and adaptations of older buildings (some up to 300 years old), including some previous designs by revered practitioners, such as Antoni Gaudí and Zaha Hadid. Internationally renowned architects discuss key problems they’ve encountered when renovating an old building or conducting an urban renewal project, and provide details on what to look out for, with useful, practical approaches for each scenario.
Buildings Reimagined A D I A LO G U E B E T W E E N O L D A N D N E W
Cover images: AleaOlea architecture & landscape repurposes a disused stone church (damaged in the 1936 Spanish Civil War) into a multipurpose hall. Leida, Spain, in 2016. © Adrià Goula
Buildings Reimagined
A D I A LO G U E B E T W E E N O L D A N D N E W
The transformation and reuse of old buildings is by no means only a kind of renovation in the simple sense, but it’s about adjusting a certain site to accommodate new functions. The key is to find the proper use for the building’s architectural heritage. This book provides an in-depth analysis of a selection of thirty building types: looking closely at the property’s background, the transformation of the motivation, the transformation strategy, as well as the problems encountered in the transformation.
$50.00 [USA] £35.00 [GB]
CONTENTS
STRATEGY
3
116 Structural Modification 120
Ixi’im Restaurant
128
House Z22 and Warehouse F88
136
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa
144
M.Y. Lab Wood Workshop
152
Santa Maria de Villanova de la Barca
STRATEGY
Preface
007
Introduction
008
4
162 External Juxtaposition
STRATEGY
1
012 Architecture as Furniture 016
Church Hill Barn
024
DePetrus
030
Burgos Old Railway Station
038
Cotton Lab
048
The Waterdog
Malmö Saluhall
172
Lycée Français and Studio Molière
180
Gucci Hub
186
B30
196
Layering Courtyard
206
Antwerp Port House
STRATEGY
5
214 Reconstruction and Expansion
STRATEGY
2
166
054 Renovation and Insertion 058
Casa Vicens
068
660 Congress Street
074
Protected Seventeenth-Century Houses
082
Cathedral of Szeged
090
Three Cusps Chalet
Epilogue
282
098
Gouda Cheese Warehouse
Index
286
106
White Pagoda Temple Hutong Courtyard
218
Rijksmuseum
228
House Lendenmann
238
Hotel Restaurant Krone
250
Co-op Oulun Tervahovin Siilot
258
Office 3.0
266
DAXI Tea Factory
272
Rock Creek House
CONTENTS
STRATEGY
3
116 Structural Modification 120
Ixi’im Restaurant
128
House Z22 and Warehouse F88
136
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa
144
M.Y. Lab Wood Workshop
152
Santa Maria de Villanova de la Barca
STRATEGY
Preface
007
Introduction
008
4
162 External Juxtaposition
STRATEGY
1
012 Architecture as Furniture 016
Church Hill Barn
024
DePetrus
030
Burgos Old Railway Station
038
Cotton Lab
048
The Waterdog
Malmö Saluhall
172
Lycée Français and Studio Molière
180
Gucci Hub
186
B30
196
Layering Courtyard
206
Antwerp Port House
STRATEGY
5
214 Reconstruction and Expansion
STRATEGY
2
166
054 Renovation and Insertion 058
Casa Vicens
068
660 Congress Street
074
Protected Seventeenth-Century Houses
082
Cathedral of Szeged
090
Three Cusps Chalet
Epilogue
282
098
Gouda Cheese Warehouse
Index
286
106
White Pagoda Temple Hutong Courtyard
218
Rijksmuseum
228
House Lendenmann
238
Hotel Restaurant Krone
250
Co-op Oulun Tervahovin Siilot
258
Office 3.0
266
DAXI Tea Factory
272
Rock Creek House
INTRODUCTION
In the twentieth century, during the emergence
There has been a shift in the way in which we
growing awareness of sustainability. While many
stability, safety measures, thermal and safety
of the modernist architecture movement,
understand history. The idea that one should
buildings or sites may not have sufficient, if
standards, and the suitability of old spaces
the idea of preserving historical buildings as
break from tradition, as the modernists believed,
any, heritage value, they may be worth keeping
for new programs, which may involve the
heritage became more prevalent. The two
no longer holds sway and there is a growing
for sustainability reasons. This pressure has
quality of light, circulation, and new services.
fields however remained, on the whole and
tendency to find continuity between our current
been the strongest motivator to avoid the
These challenges and constraints need to be
with few exceptions, quite separate. New
condition and the past. Previously, history and
demolition of a building with little or no heritage
resolved in parallel with the primary reasons
“modern” buildings were designed by “masters”
tradition were considered separate from our
value. Sustainability concerns can refer to the
that motivated the decision not to demolish the
with a focus on functionality, the future, and
everyday lives. Historical objects were seen as
conservation of energy and the reduction of
building in order to make the design viable.
often a utopian vision. On the other hand,
something we should keep in museums, and
the carbon footprint of developments. It can
projects involving historical buildings required
historical buildings similarly became museums.
refer to social realities and the promotion of
The old building may be retained for a variety
the architect to be more humble, scholarly,
Ideas from the modern movement stipulated
sustainable livelihoods, as well as to the long-
of reasons, each stemming from the values
rigorous, and unquestioning in the assumed
that people’s everyday lives should be forward-
term economic feasibility of a development.
placed on it. Cost is often a deal-breaker for
requirement to preserve the material of the
looking, and design was about being new and
historical building as artefact. The field of heritage conservation emerged into a specialization within the discipline of architecture. The architect involved with conservation had less need to be creative,
more progressive than the past. At the same
already there and in relatively sound condition
time, the past was sentimentally considered as
opportunity to retain traces of history while
can save a considerable amount of budget that
being idyllic and anything modern would detract
offering environments that can be cost effective,
may be spent elsewhere. Cost can also be saved
from the authenticity of that often idealized world.
climatically moderated, and appropriate to
on the shorter construction time required in
Conservation was there to protect and preserve
the occupants’ lifestyles. Adaptation implies
adaptations as compared with new builds.
the original perfection of the untainted past.
the loss of something. It is what heritage
but rather had to be meticulous and loyal to
conservation in the pure, modern sense works
Existing buildings have embodied energy, and
the evidence that told a story of the past. The
Today, a growing global understanding of how
hard to prevent. For an adaptation to be viable
choosing not to demolish may be an ethical
architectural interventions, if any, were almost
the past contributes to contemporary culture
in an old building, some of its fabric must be up
choice to minimize the carbon footprint of the
always subservient to the historical building. If
has led to a more nuanced approach to heritage
for negotiation, and the relevance of the past
project. In some instances, client and architect
the historical building was not worthy of such
that allows design to engage it more directly. On
must be weighed equally against the demands
may agree to look for ways to reduce the carbon
veneration, the option would be to demolish it to
the other extreme of heritage conservation, a
of present everyday life.
footprint of a development. In other instances,
make way for a new and better design.
new approach has emerged that considers the
It is predominantly during the recent decades
it may be that building authorities will impose
social practices of communities within a given
Introducing a new intervention to engage
sustainable criteria on a development in the
site as heritage, rather than the material fabric
with an existing structure brings up many
approval process. Either way, the decision
that working with existing buildings has
itself. This places a focus on the intangible
rich and interesting issues that the designer
to adapt and not demolish will contribute
emerged as a potential site for the creative
and comes in direct conflict with the concept
must grapple with. While it can offer a range
beneficially, in most instances, to the material
production of architecture, where the focus of
of heritage conservation and the preservation
of opportunities, working with an existing
sustainability of a development. Reusing an old
the design need not choose between favoring
of material things. Many of the ideas that have
building will also involve a series of challenges
building presents a challenge for meeting current
the past or the future, but can strike a mutual
contributed to this new approach, referred to
that often present themselves during the
standards for thermal control and the reduced
relationship between the two. There may be
as “living heritage,” have emerged throughout
construction phase but must be preempted
consumption of nonrenewable resources. Some
a number of reasons for this shift of interest,
the Global South where buildings maintain
during design. Furthermore, constraints are
solutions will include wrapping the exterior or
including changing ideas in the fields of heritage
continuity in their function through centuries-
imposed on the design by present-day building
lining the interior surface of the external walls,
long use by the same community.
legislations that in many countries have
which presents the challenge of losing something
conservation and sustainability. These stand out as key drivers in the motivation to adapt
008
clients and using a structure or a shell that is The adaptation of old buildings provides an
become more stringent, while the new program
of the historical aesthetic. When the aesthetic
buildings from the past rather than to conserve
Overlaid onto these tensions that have emerged
has its own demands that must also be met.
of the old is deemed important, the design may
or demolish.
out of the world of heritage preservation, is the
Challenges and constraints include structural
introduce an intervention that pulls away from
009
INTRODUCTION
In the twentieth century, during the emergence
There has been a shift in the way in which we
growing awareness of sustainability. While many
stability, safety measures, thermal and safety
of the modernist architecture movement,
understand history. The idea that one should
buildings or sites may not have sufficient, if
standards, and the suitability of old spaces
the idea of preserving historical buildings as
break from tradition, as the modernists believed,
any, heritage value, they may be worth keeping
for new programs, which may involve the
heritage became more prevalent. The two
no longer holds sway and there is a growing
for sustainability reasons. This pressure has
quality of light, circulation, and new services.
fields however remained, on the whole and
tendency to find continuity between our current
been the strongest motivator to avoid the
These challenges and constraints need to be
with few exceptions, quite separate. New
condition and the past. Previously, history and
demolition of a building with little or no heritage
resolved in parallel with the primary reasons
“modern” buildings were designed by “masters”
tradition were considered separate from our
value. Sustainability concerns can refer to the
that motivated the decision not to demolish the
with a focus on functionality, the future, and
everyday lives. Historical objects were seen as
conservation of energy and the reduction of
building in order to make the design viable.
often a utopian vision. On the other hand,
something we should keep in museums, and
the carbon footprint of developments. It can
projects involving historical buildings required
historical buildings similarly became museums.
refer to social realities and the promotion of
The old building may be retained for a variety
the architect to be more humble, scholarly,
Ideas from the modern movement stipulated
sustainable livelihoods, as well as to the long-
of reasons, each stemming from the values
rigorous, and unquestioning in the assumed
that people’s everyday lives should be forward-
term economic feasibility of a development.
placed on it. Cost is often a deal-breaker for
requirement to preserve the material of the
looking, and design was about being new and
historical building as artefact. The field of heritage conservation emerged into a specialization within the discipline of architecture. The architect involved with conservation had less need to be creative,
more progressive than the past. At the same
already there and in relatively sound condition
time, the past was sentimentally considered as
opportunity to retain traces of history while
can save a considerable amount of budget that
being idyllic and anything modern would detract
offering environments that can be cost effective,
may be spent elsewhere. Cost can also be saved
from the authenticity of that often idealized world.
climatically moderated, and appropriate to
on the shorter construction time required in
Conservation was there to protect and preserve
the occupants’ lifestyles. Adaptation implies
adaptations as compared with new builds.
the original perfection of the untainted past.
the loss of something. It is what heritage
but rather had to be meticulous and loyal to
conservation in the pure, modern sense works
Existing buildings have embodied energy, and
the evidence that told a story of the past. The
Today, a growing global understanding of how
hard to prevent. For an adaptation to be viable
choosing not to demolish may be an ethical
architectural interventions, if any, were almost
the past contributes to contemporary culture
in an old building, some of its fabric must be up
choice to minimize the carbon footprint of the
always subservient to the historical building. If
has led to a more nuanced approach to heritage
for negotiation, and the relevance of the past
project. In some instances, client and architect
the historical building was not worthy of such
that allows design to engage it more directly. On
must be weighed equally against the demands
may agree to look for ways to reduce the carbon
veneration, the option would be to demolish it to
the other extreme of heritage conservation, a
of present everyday life.
footprint of a development. In other instances,
make way for a new and better design.
new approach has emerged that considers the
It is predominantly during the recent decades
it may be that building authorities will impose
social practices of communities within a given
Introducing a new intervention to engage
sustainable criteria on a development in the
site as heritage, rather than the material fabric
with an existing structure brings up many
approval process. Either way, the decision
that working with existing buildings has
itself. This places a focus on the intangible
rich and interesting issues that the designer
to adapt and not demolish will contribute
emerged as a potential site for the creative
and comes in direct conflict with the concept
must grapple with. While it can offer a range
beneficially, in most instances, to the material
production of architecture, where the focus of
of heritage conservation and the preservation
of opportunities, working with an existing
sustainability of a development. Reusing an old
the design need not choose between favoring
of material things. Many of the ideas that have
building will also involve a series of challenges
building presents a challenge for meeting current
the past or the future, but can strike a mutual
contributed to this new approach, referred to
that often present themselves during the
standards for thermal control and the reduced
relationship between the two. There may be
as “living heritage,” have emerged throughout
construction phase but must be preempted
consumption of nonrenewable resources. Some
a number of reasons for this shift of interest,
the Global South where buildings maintain
during design. Furthermore, constraints are
solutions will include wrapping the exterior or
including changing ideas in the fields of heritage
continuity in their function through centuries-
imposed on the design by present-day building
lining the interior surface of the external walls,
long use by the same community.
legislations that in many countries have
which presents the challenge of losing something
conservation and sustainability. These stand out as key drivers in the motivation to adapt
008
clients and using a structure or a shell that is The adaptation of old buildings provides an
become more stringent, while the new program
of the historical aesthetic. When the aesthetic
buildings from the past rather than to conserve
Overlaid onto these tensions that have emerged
has its own demands that must also be met.
of the old is deemed important, the design may
or demolish.
out of the world of heritage preservation, is the
Challenges and constraints include structural
introduce an intervention that pulls away from
009
CHURCH HILL BARN
Materials harvested from surrounding buildings enabled the restoration of the external fabric of this historic timber barn, while the concealment of insulation layers allowed the existing interior fabric to remain legible. New elements, like pieces of furniture, are delicately inserted into its large internal volumes, while the considered placement of openings provides a connection to the surrounding landscape.
The site is situated on the Essex-Suffolk border within the landscape immortalized by painter John Constable. It was originally the home farm of the nearby estate, destroyed by fire in the 1950s. A collection of farm buildings form a courtyard, and a large barn of cathedral-like proportions is the centerpiece, offering views over the rural landscape. The barn complex is the legacy of the model farm movement. It has a cruciform plan with a collection of smaller spaces surrounding it, which sought to provide shelter for different farming activities under the one roof. The barn is a heritage-listed structure and the contemporary refurbishment Architecture:
required lengthy agreements with local planning authorities.
David Nossiter Architects
The clients purchased the buildings in a dilapidated condition. David
Location:
Nossiter had worked on a previous project with the clients and was their
Suffolk, United Kingdom
natural choice of architect. Having sold their property in nearby Colchester,
Area:
they lived in a caravan on the site during the build.
5640 square feet (524 square meters) Completion:
A large component of the renovations consisted of refurbishing the
2016
roof. Roofing slates and timber materials were salvaged from the other
Photography:
agricultural structures on the site that were too decayed to be renovated.
Steve Lancefield
The roof is a “warm roof construction,� with the insulation located on
016
Architecture as Furniture
017
CHURCH HILL BARN
Materials harvested from surrounding buildings enabled the restoration of the external fabric of this historic timber barn, while the concealment of insulation layers allowed the existing interior fabric to remain legible. New elements, like pieces of furniture, are delicately inserted into its large internal volumes, while the considered placement of openings provides a connection to the surrounding landscape.
The site is situated on the Essex-Suffolk border within the landscape immortalized by painter John Constable. It was originally the home farm of the nearby estate, destroyed by fire in the 1950s. A collection of farm buildings form a courtyard, and a large barn of cathedral-like proportions is the centerpiece, offering views over the rural landscape. The barn complex is the legacy of the model farm movement. It has a cruciform plan with a collection of smaller spaces surrounding it, which sought to provide shelter for different farming activities under the one roof. The barn is a heritage-listed structure and the contemporary refurbishment Architecture:
required lengthy agreements with local planning authorities.
David Nossiter Architects
The clients purchased the buildings in a dilapidated condition. David
Location:
Nossiter had worked on a previous project with the clients and was their
Suffolk, United Kingdom
natural choice of architect. Having sold their property in nearby Colchester,
Area:
they lived in a caravan on the site during the build.
5640 square feet (524 square meters) Completion:
A large component of the renovations consisted of refurbishing the
2016
roof. Roofing slates and timber materials were salvaged from the other
Photography:
agricultural structures on the site that were too decayed to be renovated.
Steve Lancefield
The roof is a “warm roof construction,� with the insulation located on
016
Architecture as Furniture
017
022
Architecture as Furniture
023
022
Architecture as Furniture
023
Second-floor plan
First-floor plan
028
Architecture as Furniture
029
Second-floor plan
First-floor plan
028
Architecture as Furniture
029
160
Structural Modification
161
160
Structural Modification
161
MALMÖ SALUHALL
This market hall finds its appeal in the decision to design through similarity and difference. The overall form of the new intervention mirrors that of the old and then deviates from it by allowing the site constraints to impose alterations to the mirrored image.
The old freight depot west of Malmö Central Station was no more than a roofless shell when siblings Nina Totté and Martin Karyd bought the building to create a market hall for approximately 20 vendors and restaurateurs. The initial intention was to add a similar volume onto the existing oblong brick building, but the plans changed when several layers of underground utilities were discovered on the site, reducing the buildable area of the lot. The addition imitates the gabled silhouette of the existing building, but only occupies a portion of the site. A gap in the roof between the building and the addition brings daylight to the old brick façade. The new façade cladding of weathering corrugated steel provides an echo of the industrial character that has historically dominated the district. Vertical steel profiles give the Architecture:
façade rhythm and its rust-red color serves as a backdrop for vegetation
Wingårdh Arkitektkontor
that grows over the lattices. Vegetation also fills the narrow space between
Location:
the market hall and adjacent parking structure.
Malmö, Sweden Area:
The main hall on Gibraltar Street has a large protruding roof to provide
16,145 square feet (1500 square meters)
a covered entrance. The market hall provides a robust framework within
Completion:
which different traders can develop and sell their products. Food and
2016
ingredients are showcased through a straightforward layout and simple,
Photography:
solid material palette. Service areas (warehouses, storage rooms, staff
André Pihl, Wingårdhs
rooms, and so on) are arranged on three floors at one end of the building.
166
External Juxtaposition
167
MALMÖ SALUHALL
This market hall finds its appeal in the decision to design through similarity and difference. The overall form of the new intervention mirrors that of the old and then deviates from it by allowing the site constraints to impose alterations to the mirrored image.
The old freight depot west of Malmö Central Station was no more than a roofless shell when siblings Nina Totté and Martin Karyd bought the building to create a market hall for approximately 20 vendors and restaurateurs. The initial intention was to add a similar volume onto the existing oblong brick building, but the plans changed when several layers of underground utilities were discovered on the site, reducing the buildable area of the lot. The addition imitates the gabled silhouette of the existing building, but only occupies a portion of the site. A gap in the roof between the building and the addition brings daylight to the old brick façade. The new façade cladding of weathering corrugated steel provides an echo of the industrial character that has historically dominated the district. Vertical steel profiles give the Architecture:
façade rhythm and its rust-red color serves as a backdrop for vegetation
Wingårdh Arkitektkontor
that grows over the lattices. Vegetation also fills the narrow space between
Location:
the market hall and adjacent parking structure.
Malmö, Sweden Area:
The main hall on Gibraltar Street has a large protruding roof to provide
16,145 square feet (1500 square meters)
a covered entrance. The market hall provides a robust framework within
Completion:
which different traders can develop and sell their products. Food and
2016
ingredients are showcased through a straightforward layout and simple,
Photography:
solid material palette. Service areas (warehouses, storage rooms, staff
André Pihl, Wingårdhs
rooms, and so on) are arranged on three floors at one end of the building.
166
External Juxtaposition
167
LYCÉE FRANÇAIS AND STUDIO MOLIÈRE
This new intervention translates the language of the old by being positioned a short distance away from it. The new building mirrors and abstracts the proportions of the older building’s openings and the heights of its floors and eaves.
The extension of Lycée Français and renovation of Studio Molière included the construction of a new building and the design of open spaces that allowed the architecture team to play with the contrast of materials, lights, and shadows. The attempt in the nineteenth century to open up the old riding school is reflected in the new school building. The use of contrasts—technologies, construction methods, and materials—is expressed by reflecting the old building in the glass façade of the new school. This effect is reversed as it gets dark, when the new building illuminates the old studio. The entrance, reception, and bookstore are located on the Liechtensteinstraße side of the site. The new reception area is set back from the alignment of the buildings and inserted into the building volume to provide an initial view into the covered space. By removing the two existing ceilings, this space acquires a generosity that reflects its importance. The lobby space is also opened up Architecture:
to just under the roof, and the large, pointed-arch windows flood the lobby
Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes
with daylight, especially in the afternoon and evening, before performances
Location:
commence. This space doubles as a passage that provides access to the new
Vienna, Austria
school building.
Section A-A
Area: 0
38,653 square feet (3591 square meters)
The new school building is located to the southwest of Studio Molière, with
Completion:
a new outside space between them. The glass façade of the new building
2016
reflects the façade of the original building. This is emphasized by the building's
Photography:
orientation, by the reduced detail of the façade, and by its luminosity, which
Hertha Hurnaus
is especially evident during sunset. The main entrance is located directly in
172
5
10
DFA I DIETMAR FEICHTINGER ARCHITECTES - STUDIO MOLIERE & LYCEE FRANCAIS DE VIENNE SCHNITT A 1/200
Section C-C
173
External Juxtaposition
0
5
10
LYCÉE FRANÇAIS AND STUDIO MOLIÈRE
This new intervention translates the language of the old by being positioned a short distance away from it. The new building mirrors and abstracts the proportions of the older building’s openings and the heights of its floors and eaves.
The extension of Lycée Français and renovation of Studio Molière included the construction of a new building and the design of open spaces that allowed the architecture team to play with the contrast of materials, lights, and shadows. The attempt in the nineteenth century to open up the old riding school is reflected in the new school building. The use of contrasts—technologies, construction methods, and materials—is expressed by reflecting the old building in the glass façade of the new school. This effect is reversed as it gets dark, when the new building illuminates the old studio. The entrance, reception, and bookstore are located on the Liechtensteinstraße side of the site. The new reception area is set back from the alignment of the buildings and inserted into the building volume to provide an initial view into the covered space. By removing the two existing ceilings, this space acquires a generosity that reflects its importance. The lobby space is also opened up Architecture:
to just under the roof, and the large, pointed-arch windows flood the lobby
Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes
with daylight, especially in the afternoon and evening, before performances
Location:
commence. This space doubles as a passage that provides access to the new
Vienna, Austria
school building.
Section A-A
Area: 38,653 square feet (3591 square meters)
The new school building is located to the southwest of Studio Molière, with
Completion:
a new outside space between them. The glass façade of the new building
2016
reflects the façade of the original building. This is emphasized by the building's
Photography:
orientation, by the reduced detail of the façade, and by its luminosity, which
Hertha Hurnaus
is especially evident during sunset. The main entrance is located directly in
172
0
5
10
DFA I DIETMAR FEICHTINGER ARCHITECTES - STUDIO MOLIERE & LYCEE FRANCAIS DE VIENNE SCHNITT A 1/200
Section C-C
173
External Juxtaposition
0
5
10
177
177
The pages within are filled with practical insights, including information on the latest features of contemporary renovations and adaptations of older buildings (some up to 300 years old), including some previous designs by revered practitioners, such as Antoni Gaudí and Zaha Hadid. Internationally renowned architects discuss key problems they’ve encountered when renovating an old building or conducting an urban renewal project, and provide details on what to look out for, with useful, practical approaches for each scenario.
Buildings Reimagined A D I A LO G U E B E T W E E N O L D A N D N E W
Cover images: AleaOlea architecture & landscape repurposes a disused stone church (damaged in the 1936 Spanish Civil War) into a multipurpose hall. Leida, Spain, in 2016. © Adrià Goula
Buildings Reimagined
A D I A LO G U E B E T W E E N O L D A N D N E W
The transformation and reuse of old buildings is by no means only a kind of renovation in the simple sense, but it’s about adjusting a certain site to accommodate new functions. The key is to find the proper use for the building’s architectural heritage. This book provides an in-depth analysis of a selection of thirty building types: looking closely at the property’s background, the transformation of the motivation, the transformation strategy, as well as the problems encountered in the transformation.
$50.00 [USA] £35.00 [GB]