The creative reuse of abandoned structures represents an innovative, yet sustainable facet of contemporary architecture. This trend not only addresses the need to conserve resources and heritage, but also brings a new life of activity and culture to forgotten spaces.
An example of this approach is the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa project in Cape Town, South Africa. This structure, originally a grain silo, was meticulously transformed into a contemporary art museum. The project, led by the architectural firm Heatherwick Studio, preserved the original façade and remodelled the interior of the silos with a bold, modern design. It produced a dialogue between industrial heritage and contemporary aesthetics.
Another example is the High Line in New York, USA. An elevated railway line was transformed into a linear public park. James Corner Field Operations led this project in collaboration with Diller Scofidio + Renfro. It turned an obsolete urban space into a vibrant green space and therefore became part of the citizens’ heritage.
As we can see, in these two cases, the reuse of abandoned structures served to revitalise urban spaces. These projects show the possibility of the past and the present coexisting, feeding each other and serving sustainability.
By Juan Guardiola Cutillas, senior architect in the Architecture Department of Amusement Logic
