I think that adaptive reuse (giving a structure a new function while maintaining its original characteristics and integrity) is the most constructive way to practice historic preservation, and it is truly fascinating to see what people have come up with! Examples, both big and small, can be seen everywhere, from a former train station being used as a gift shop to an old house that has been renovated to function by today's standards. In response to yesterday's post, I wanted to to show (just a few) larger projects that have completely changed the use of a building, but the new function saved it from being torn down.
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| Urban Outfitters in a former church, Cincinnati, Ohio |
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| Former Baker Chocolate Factory is now The Lofts at Lower Mills in Dorchester, MA |
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| Museum of Science and Technology in an old armory building - Syracuse, NY |
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| Ghirardelli Square, former chocolate factory, now tourist hub with restaurants and shops. San Francisco |
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| Pratt Street Power Plant, converted to retail, restaurants and office space. Baltimore, MD |
Great post! I love seeing old buildings reused. Another good example close to me is St. Aidan’s Church in Brookline, MA. John F Kennedy was baptized there, along with many other parishioners being prominent Irish-Americans. When the church closed in 1999, most of the neighborhood was afraid it would be torn down. It recently finished being converted into luxury condos. Now every time I walk by it, I’m jealous of the people who live there. Looks very nice, but I’m probably a couple million too poor…
ReplyDeletehttp://www.brooklinehistoricalsociety.org/archives/images/gs_166Large.jpg
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