Conservation, Renovation and Conversion

Source: Ricardo Bofill archdaily.com

The Factory, Sant Just Desvern, Spain, 1975 designed by Ricardo Bofill

In 1973 Ricardo Bofill found a disused cement factory, an industrial complex from the turn of the century consisting of over 30 silos, subterranean galleries and huge machine rooms, and he decided to transform it into the head office of Taller de Arquitectura. Remodelling work lasted two years. This project is evidence of the fact that an imaginative architect may adapt any space to a new function, no matter how different it may be from the original one.-- ArchDaily

Source: nytimes.com

Expansion of the Morgan Library, New York City, New York, USA, 2006 designed by Renzo Piano

Blasting through 50 feet of bedrock, he adds book vaults and a 280-seat theater underground, minimizing the visual scale of his project. The Voorsanger addition is gone, replaced by a large glass-and-steel entry pavilion. Two more pavilions — a gallery and offices — are set on 36th and 37th Streets, completing three sides of a central light-drenched court.

The layout sets up a mesmerizing rhythm between new and old. The boxy pavilions are joined to the more massive stone buildings by vertical slots of glass. -- New York Times

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Source: EMBAIXADA arquitectura

Casa dos Cubos, Tomar, Portugal, 2007 designed by EMBAIXADA arquitectura

Since the last decade of the xx century, it has been usual, especially in the old Europe, the commission of projects demanding the conservation, renovation and conversion of constructions from a recent and distant past and from the most diverse typologies, and cultural matrices – This Interior architecture often becomes a field of experimentation for architectural ideas and one of the most challenging themes of the contemporary city. Not only because of urban conditions but also because of historical, social and political demands. This preservation syndrome, sometimes leads to a overvaluation of the building structures.

A new interior within an interior interior. A machine capable of producing space, installed in a shell that was progressively deflated and then insufflated with a new and strange form of life.  -- ArchDaily

Source: Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos archdaily.com

Sabadell Housing Renovation, Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain, 2007 designed by Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos

The intervention consists in the restoration of a small industrial building and the addition of a new floor to it in order to turn it into a residential building. -- ArchDaily

Source: Thomas Mayer arcspace.com

Francois Pinault Foundation, Punta della Dogana, Venice, Italy, 2009 designed by Tadao Ando

Tadao Ando drew up his plans for the new centre quickly. In effect, if one looks at his drawings one sees that, from the first, the broad outlines of the project were clear in his mind. The characteristic layout of the former warehouses was to be maintained.  -- ArcSpace

Guggenheim Passed Over for New Venice Museum -- The New York Times

Source: construction.com

Neues Museum, Berlin, Germany, 2009 designed by David Chipperfield Architects

Chipperfield and Harrap’s accomplishment with the Neues is prodigious. Their approach, like that of the 1964 International Charter of Conservation and Restoration of Monuments (aka the Venice Charter) calls for exposing changes that have occurred through time, rather than returning a building to its original condition, often as a facsimile. -- Architectural Record

Source: Dennis Gilbert archdaily.com

Gunpowder Mill, Waltham Abbey, UK, 2009 designed by Pollard Thomas Edwards Architects

Two early 20th century buildings, the Power House and the Water Tower, have been converted to form a new headquarters office for the client, while remaining faithful to the industrial history of the site. A new three-storey glazed structure completes the office complex and incorporates a top-floor terrace which links all three buildings and gives magnificent views out over the adjacent water meadows. -- ArchDaily

source: Lvfeng photography Studio archdaily.com

Pavilion 4, Shanghai, China, 2010 designed by HMA Architects & Designers

The aim of our pavilion is to exhibit a practical example for sustainable city. Our design intention is to reuse existing structure and material as much as we can use, and reduce many scrap materials by half. -- ArchDaily

Source: mlzd archdaily.com

Janus, Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland, 2011 designed by mlzd

The project to put up the new building has been sensitively integrated in the historic town. The view from the north, which is important for the overall visual impression of the town, is to remain unchanged. The building fits discreetly into the background of the historic picture presented by the narrow town-centre streets. With the new terrain situation and the tasteful bronze façade, the building imposes a new emphasis on its immediate surroundings and can easily be read as the main entrance to a modern museum complex. -- ArchDaily

Source: Christian Flatscher archdaily.com

Hauptschule Rattenberg, Rattenberg, Österreich, Austria, 2011 designed by Daniel Fügenschuh

A 15th century monastery in Rattenberg, Tyrol was first transformed to a secondary school with a new gym extension in the early 1970ies. To meet today’s social needs and pedagogic standards a new school extension became necessary so pupils can stay after school and get lunch. Open plan zones will free up space to allow for alternative teaching methods.

With a modern approach of protecting architectural heritage the building opens up to the historic centre re-defining the importance of the school in the urban context of Rattenberg. -- ArchDaily

Source: PTE Architects archdaily.com

The Granary, Abbey Road, Barking, UK, 2011 designed by Pollard Thomas Edwards Architects

The new extension takes its cue from the strong gabled form of the original building. Clad in striking bronze panels, the new accommodation is attached to the existing via the vertical circulation core and a high level bridge link. A new atrium garden makes previously obscured elevations visible again. -- ArchDaily

Source: FG+SG archdaily.com

Rehabilitation of Former Prison of Palencia as Cultural Civic​ Center, Palencia, Spain designed by Exit Architects

....composed mainly of four two-storey wings and some other with one storey. On this building was planned a comprehensive refurbishment to transform the former use and convert it into a center that promotes the social and cultural activity in this part of the town. -- ArchDaily

Source: OFIS arhitekti

Baroque Court Apartments, Ljubljana, Slovenia designed by OFIS arhitekti

....connect the houses into one single unit with implementation of 12 apartments around the small internal court. Baroque elevations facing the street had to be mainly reconstructed to their original state, the internal court on the other hand could be adapted and revitalized; both under the State Heritage supervision. The concept reinstates the existing court as a new central communicating space between levels and apartments. At the same time provides light into the apartment spaces overlooking the court.  -- ArchDaily

Source: Andrea Cordoni archdaily.com

Chemical and Biological Library, Ferrara, Province of Ferrara, Italy designed by Giuseppe Rebecchini

A tiered structure, where the great central wall blue, reminiscent of the end of four hundred paintings Ferrara, star of the whole project, dividing the space into two, becomes a unifying element of the various plans with the scale that supports and container enclosing inside all the technical equipment and piping for heating and cooling the building naturally. -- ArchDaily

Source: popupcity.net

McAllen Public Library, McAllen, Texas, USA designed by Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle

Designers Turn Abandoned Walmart Into America’s Largest Library

Designers Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle completely overhauled the interior to create a bright and playful space for books and people to intermingle. At 124,500 sqft, this McAllen Public Library is the largest single-floor public library in the US. The library recently received the 2012 Library Interior Design Award. The sprawling library contains a computer lab, study rooms, a cafe, an auditorium, even a genealogy research area, as well as separate areas for children, teens, and adults. The library has been well received by the community as registration went up by 23% within one month of its opening. Hurray for adaptive reuse! -- the Pop-Up City

Source: Miguel de Guzmán archdaily.com

OostCampus, Oostkamp, Belgium, 2012 designed by Carlos Arroyo

.... opted for a radical re-use of the large industrial existing building, including foundations, floors, supporting structures, outer skin, insulation, waterproofing, and all recoverable services and equipment: power station, heating plant, water pipes, fire hoses, sewerage, and even parking area, fencing and access. -- ArchDaily

Source: Ivan Brodey archdaily.com

Nedregate Culture District, Oslo, Norway, 2012 designed by Space Group

The original industrial building has a rich history of uses, from textile industry to offices and events. Part of the building burned down in the 1980s. The project inserts a completely new architecture inside the shell of the old while preserving the historic. The two correlates while both being clearly architecturally defined. -- ArchDaily

Source: Martin Gardner archdaily.com

Manor House Stables, Headbourne Worthy, Winchester, UK, 2013 designed by AR Design Studio

The concept was to preserve the existing while making any new additions simple and pure in order to let the original character shine. This results in an innovative arrangement of spaces according to the Stable’s existing layout, in order to maintain many of the existing exposed timber interior walls. These were then cleaned, stripped back and refurbished to reveal an exquisite amount of detailing and craftsmanship. -- ArchDaily

Source: Laila Bahman archrecord.construction.com

Queens Museum, New York City, New York, USA, 2013 designed by Grimshaw

The main feature of the Grimshaw design is a 30-foot-tall daylight-diffusing structure, referred to as the “lantern,” suspended from a new skylight over the central, large works gallery. A suite of smaller galleries for more light-sensitive works surrounds the central gallery, with louvers to control daylight levels. -- Architectural Record