Abstract:
There is a specific beauty that exists amongst
architecture in the absence of routine human
interaction; it is the beauty of decay. This beauty
develops over time, as buildings cease to function
in the way they were originally designed to do so.
As this happens, such buildings become leftover,
forgotten spaces that go unseen by the bulk of
society; they are left to minor, often illicit alternate
uses.
The need to preserve architectural urban decay
of historical and cultural value is getting more
and more significant. At the same time it is very
important to develop environment dynamically to
sustain life activities in general. The thesis deals
with the revitalization method with the purpose to
preserve and restore abandoned structures, which
assign a new function – to expand areas and adjust
abandoned buildings to modern requirements.
This dissertation will also explore an alternative
strategy to a conservative adaptive reuse
practices for different building typologies that not
only complements but challenges that reveals
the history through the unique character and the
original intent of the design by preserving the spirit
of place that is more than often lost in the process
of adaptation by considering the meaning of place
conveyed through its architectural expressions.
The adaptive reuse strategy will be formulated
and tested through case studies examples.
