Survey on Cultural Heritage Adaptive Reuse practices

Id Name Description Action
3353 Hal 5, Belgium In 2015, the city of Leuven bought the nineteenth-century railway halls in Kessel-Lo from National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS), to design them as a residential site with community services. In anticipation of restoration, a partnership of local organizations and companies set up Hall 5 of the 'Central Workplaces' into a meeting and event space with a mix of temporary activities. Hall 5, which is actually an ensemble of three halls, house an indoor food market of sustainable companies, a multitude of events such as flea markets and tango happenings and a movement hall animated by Cirkus in Beweging. Associations and organizations can rent the rooms, except for parties or loud performances. The outdoor space of 1800 sqm serves as a living space and zone for urban agriculture. Earlier, the City of Leuven designed the former Central Park 3010 railway site, a temporary park that will later be given a definitive design.
3354 Atlas building, Netherlands Atlas, the former Main Building of Eindhoven University of Technology, dates from 1963. The building, originally designed by van Embden, was one of the first buildings of the university campus. It contained cultural and architectural values, but no longer met the wishes and requirements of today. There was a lot of asbestos in the building and it was no longer fireproof. The University renovated the building and showed high ambitions on sustainability and research use for a living lab. The design for the renovation of Atlas, which was made by Team RSVP, won an international BREEAM award in the category Education & Healthcare. By combining state-of-the-art materials with optimal reuse the TU/e Atlas Building is transformed into a transparent and energy efficient university building. Now the building is an inviting entrance to the TU/e campus and a showcase for innovation and technology.
3355 Meelfabriek Leiden, Netherlands The Meelfabriek is an industrial complex of several large buildings that produced flour from different types of grain, brought in by boats on the canal. The flour factory was one of the largest in the Netherlands after the Second World War. It grew in different phases from 1883 until 1988, when production was closed down for economical and political reasons. The future of the complex was uncertain for a long time after the closure of the flour factory in 1988. The developer Ab van der Wiel bought De Meelfabriek complex in 1998 in order to preserve and redevelop it. In 2000 the complex was placed on the list of monuments. At the end of 2012, redevelopment to a design by the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor was started. Upon completion, the complex will include living space, catering, office and exhibition spaces.
3356 Molino Stucky, Italy The Molino Stucky is one of the most impressive buildings in the center of Venice. The mill erected by G. Stucky had grown rapidly on a Neo-Gothic by the German architect Wullenkopf. Since its abandonment in 1955 the city of Venice had been investigating solutions for the site regeneration. The main obstacles were, beyond the financial investment, the alignment of the new ideas to the conservation bonds on the industrial conceptual design and on the structures and materials. The solution came from the re-privatization of the complex (originally private) and the public private partnership between the new owner and the municipality that consisted on some facilitations by the public part in favor of the public investments on public areas. The restoration project, thanks to the conservation approach by the architects and the support by the local and national authorities, gave value to the existing preservation bonds instead of considering them as restrictive, focusing on its authenticity.
3357 Alden Biesen, Belgium The Grand Commandery is founded in 1220 by the German Order of the Teutonic Knights. The territory of this order consists of 12 bailiwicks or provinces. Alden Biesen is established as the headquarters of the bailiwick of Biesen, which consists of 12 subordinate commanderies. Owned by the Grand Commander, Alden Biesen is the showpiece of the bailiwick. The castle estate flourishes from the 16th till the 18th century, when the Grand Commandery develops into the luxurious residence we know today. The French Revolution of 1789 abruptly ends this period. The Teutonic Order is disbanded and the castle complex is sold at auction. When Guillaume Claes purchases the estate, this is the start of two centuries of private ownership and decay. Following the fire of1971, Alden Biesen becomes the property of the Belgian government and today, the Grand Commandery is an international cultural centre owned by the Flemish Community.
3358 Van Nelle Fabriek, Netherlands The former Van Nelle Factory (Dutch: Van Nellefabriek) on the Schie in Rotterdam, is considered a prime example of the International Style based upon constructivist architecture. The buildings were designed by architect Leendert van der Vlugt from the Brinkman & Van der Vlugt office in cooperation with civil engineer J.G. Wiebenga, at that time a specialist for constructions in reinforced concrete, and built between 1925 and 1931. It is an example of Nieuwe Bouwen, modern architecture in the Netherlands. In the 20th century it was a factory, processing coffee, tea and tobacco. The operation stopped in 1996. Initially after the renovation it was known as the Van Nelle Design. More recently, the narrow focus on tenants in the design and architecture sectors has been abandoned and currently the building houses a wide variety of companies and a modern co-working space. Some of the areas are used for meetings, conventions and events.
3360 Center urbane kulture Kino Šiška, Slovenia The Kino Šiška cinema was designed by architect Božidar Gvardijan?i? and built in 1961. Kino Šiška operated as a cinema until the late 1990s and closed down in 2001 when the Kolosej multiplex was opened in Ljubljana. After the closing it was temporarily used for different art projects, performances and other creative industries until 2007. After forty years without significant adaptations, the modernist building showed deterioration, and it was technologically outdated for save use and numerous attendance. The intervention focused mostly on the structural consolidation and the functionality of the building as well as preservation of the authentic Gvardijan?i? Design from the 1960s. The iconic figure of the Kino Šiška, the volume, the glass facades and the design features of the entrance lobby remained unchanged. The main venue was technologically updated for multi-purpose use, which can host a variety of events and encourage creative use of the space.
3361 Tallinn Town Hall, Estonia Tallinn Town Hall is the oldest city hall in North-Europe and the only preserved one in Gothic style. The story of the building dates back to the 13th century and it was completed, in its current form, in 1404. The town was ruled from the Town Hall for nearly 700 years. The fifty year restoration came to its final stage in 1999-2004, when the aim was to improve the conditions for preservation. The Town Hall still has its historical role of being the town's representational building and it is used for carrying out receptions and concerts. In July and August, the Town Hall is open to visitors, who can visit anything from the basement to the attic. The fancy Gothic arches and precious works of art reflect the wealth and ideals of the former Hanseatic town. The rarest items are the benches of aldermen from the 14th and 15th century.
3362 Omeriye Ottoman Baths, Cyprus The Omeriye Hamam is in the old town of Lefkosia (Nicosia), next to the Omeriye Mosque and not far from the Archbishop’s Palace. It was built in 1570 - 71 as a donation by Lala Mustafa Pasha to the city after the island fell to the Ottomans. The bath complex or hamam was dedicated to the Caliph Omar and the area became known as Omeriye. The restoration of the Ottoman baths in 2012 is part of the master plan to revive the walled enclave of Old Nicosia. A major concern was to maintain and enhance the original function of the baths (which have been in continuous use since around 1571) by installing modern mechanical, wastewater and electrical services. At the same time, the restoration has allowed the baths to take on a new function as a venue for larger social gatherings. Damaged roof, walls, shells and domes have been repaired, and the foundations consolidated. To preserve the integrity of the structure, any new interventions are reversible.
3364 I cappuccini, Italy The minor Capuchin friars’ convent of San Donnino of Pisa is in the popular district of San Marco. Today is adjacent to the central station of Pisa but before was in peripheral zone. The first settlement dates back to the 13th century by the Cistercian monks. The monastery then passed to the Benedictine monks and was later destroyed during the wars between Pisa and Florence. In 1943 during the second world war the convent was devastated by a bombardment. The church was rebuilt in 1948, while the works for the future theological seminary and the convent ended in 1950. In 2013, following the reduction in the number of friars, negotiations began for the assignment of the convent to third parties. After three years, in 2016, a convent lease was signed by a temporary association of companies ATI promoted by three cooperatives of the Diocese of Pisa guaranteed by the local Christian Workers Associations ACLI.