12 Cultural Spaces That Owe Their Power to Adaptive Reuse

"When approaching the design of cultural spaces such as museums, performance venues, or places of research and study, architecture and design professionals often have to assemble pieces of a uniquely challenging puzzle in order to make the structure resonate with a variety of visitors and occupants. Hitting the right chord can be difficult, especially when trying to combine forms into a whole that pays respect to a building's intended use while being timeless in its universality."

"One way of making sure a sense of culture is omnipresent: adaptive reuse. The practice of breathing life into historic structures has been on the rise in recent years and is particularly well-suited to creating spaces that address and embody contemporary issues while connecting their inhabitants to the past. But it's not just a sense of updated heritage that makes them stand out; adaptive reuse buildings can fight urban sprawl and unsustainable building practices simply by way of existing."

Designing cultural spaces requires assembling complex elements so structures resonate with diverse visitors and occupants. Combining forms into a cohesive whole that respects intended use while remaining timeless is challenging. Adaptive reuse ensures a pervasive sense of culture by repurposing historic buildings. Breathing life into historic structures has increased recently and effectively creates spaces that address contemporary issues while linking inhabitants to the past. Adaptive reuse also reduces urban sprawl and counters unsustainable building practices by leveraging existing buildings rather than new construction.

Read at ArchDaily