Adaptive reuse refers to when an existing building is either renovated or repurposed to preserve the historic style or architecture or sustainability. As the term suggested, the building is adaptive for future use; only the damaged parts are repaired instead of demolished. Adaptive reuse is usually done for historic buildings which are abandoned or no longer serve the purpose, with the intention of conserving the architectural heritage.
Architectural heritage includes elements that used to be built in a certain century only, or a kind of ornamentation or murals, motifs or even structure. This practice is highly being adopted also from a point of sustainable use. A lot of time, the question is being asked ‘Do we need to build more?’ Even if a structure is not historically important, it can be still remodelled without building from scratch to give it a new function or identity.
The criteria for any building to be applicable for adaptive reuse depends on an in-depth structural analysis of the building and how it can be remodelled according to the present building codes and standards as well as preserving heritage laws (www.gp-radar.com, n.d.). These are major challenges in such a project. Below are a few examples which vary greatly in their context and location, yet show different ways in which they have done adaptive reuse. All of these examples are applauded for their approach.
Zara’s Pastelaria in Lisbon, Portugal
The earthquake of 1755 in Lisbon led to an earthquake-resistant structural system called the Pombaline style of architecture. This renovation preserved the original ceiling frescos, traditional tiles and stucco mouldings as well in all the buildings. One of these 18th-century buildings in the famous Rosse Square now has Zara’s new flagship store along with a pastelaria (Yatzer, 2024).
This building was renovated by Contacto Atlântico and Elsa Urquijo Architects for Zara. In the store, one could still see the ceiling frescos and stone-carved facades. The pastelaria uses local natural materials like lioz stone from Sintra, lime mortar and cork along with modern contemporary furniture which complements the traditional setting (Yatzer, 2024). Such an approach to adaptive reuse is a perfect balance of having new elements as well as respecting the old.
House of MG in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
It was built in 1924 as the house of a wealthy textile magnate, Mangaldas Girdhardas which now has been restored as a heritage hotel in Ahmedabad (Gujarattourism.com, 2025). This early 20th-century house is also a world heritage site, representing colonial heritage architecture (Gujarattourism.com, 2025). Heritage hotels are another approach to repurpose historic buildings and preserve their traditional works, so that people could experience it.
House of MG’s restoration work has been going on for over two decades (The House of MG, 2023). The hotel has retained verandahs and courtyards and adapted them to house restaurants and lobbies. The terrace has also been converted into a famous restaurant serving traditional Gujarati thalis. The ornamentation and furniture are handmade with traditional handicrafts of Ahmedabad (Secret Retreats, 2023). It is still managed by the generation of the Mangaldas family, holding on to the Gujarati hospitality and their culture.
H&M Store in Melbourne, Australia
H&M repurposed the ‘General Post Office’ building to its retail store in 2014. The GPO building is one of the important buildings in Victoria and is also listed on the Commonwealth Heritage List and Victorian Heritage Register (Collie Town Planners PTY LTD, Melbourne Australia, 2014).
Though the function had changed completely from a Post Office to a retail store, the architectural features remained the same (Collie Town Planners PTY LTD, Melbourne Australia, 2014). H&M has adapted to the space offered by the building rather than modifying it, which fulfils the purpose of preserving the historic architecture.
Tate Modern, London
Another famous example of adaptive reuse is Tate Modern done by Herzog and De Meuron, completed in 2000. Originally Tate Modern was London’s Bankside Power Station which was unused since 1981 and was converted into a cultural centre with public space and a modern art Museum.
The architects don’t do any major interventions to the structure and form of the building and have used heavy iron railings, grills and unfinished floors to be coherent with the existing industrial aesthetics. To accommodate art and installations, the interiors were replaced by galleries and the turbine hall was converted into a public plaza. They took advantage of unusually tall volumes which were built for generators to create unique spatial experiences without disturbing the original structure.
Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
This project exhibits a very different approach to adaptive reuse where a new structure has been built over an old building as a base. Kaispeicher A was formerly a warehouse which was only in use until the 20th century (Arquitectura Viva, 2018). The warehouse has strong robust brick walls which serve as a strong foundation for the new philharmonic hall. The warehouse is also an entrance to the concert hall via a long curved escalator (Arquitectura Viva, 2018).
These projects exemplify how buildings undergo adaptive reuse in different contexts. This approach is a step towards sustainability and reducing construction waste while also extending the life of historic architecture.
Citations:
- www.gp-radar.com. (n.d.). What is Adaptive Reuse in Architecture? | GPRS. [online] Available at: https://www.gp-radar.com/article/what-is-adaptive-reuse-in-architecture [Accessed 15 Mar. 2025].
- Yatzer (2024). Blending Heritage with Modernity: Zara’s New Pastelaria in Lisbon. [online] Yatzer. Available at: https://www.yatzer.com/zara-pastelaria-lisbon [Accessed 15 Mar. 2025].
- Secret Retreats. (2023). The House of MG. [online] Available at: https://www.secret-retreats.com/hotels/india/gujarat/the-house-of-mg [Accessed 15 Mar. 2025].
- Gujarattourism.com. (2025). The House of Mangaldas Girdhardas. [online] Available at: https://www.gujarattourism.com/accommodation/heritage-hotel/the-house-of-mangaldas-girdhardas.html.
- The House of MG. (2023). Experience the Tranquil Elegance of The House of MG Bungalow – The Hou. [online] Available at: https://houseofmg.com/pages/the-house-of-mg-bunglow [Accessed 15 Mar. 2025].
- Collie Town Planners PTY LTD, Melbourne Australia. (2014). H&M RE-FASHIONS MELBOURNE GPO – Collie Town Planners PTY LTD, Melbourne Australia. [online] Available at: https://collietp.com.au/2014/04/hm-re-fashions-melbourne-gpo/ [Accessed 15 Mar. 2025].
- Rennie Jones (2013). AD Classics: The Tate Modern / Herzog & de Meuron. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/429700/ad-classics-the-tate-modern-herzog-and-de-meuron.
- Arquitectura Viva (2018). Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Hamburg – Herzog & de Meuron. [online] Arquitectura Viva. Available at: https://arquitecturaviva.com/works/elbphilharmonie-hamburg-6.
Image References:
Image 1 – Ventura Sales., T. (2024). Blending Heritage with Modernity: Zara’s New Pastelaria in Lisbon. Available at: https://www.yatzer.com/zara-pastelaria-lisbon/slideshow/14 [Accessed 15 Mar. 2025].
Image 2 – House of Mangaldas Gidhardas. (2025). Available at: https://www.gujarattourism.com/accommodation/heritage-hotel/the-house-of-mangaldas-girdhardas.html [Accessed 15 Mar. 2025].
Image 3 – Modern Heritage Grand Magnum Room. (2023). Available at: https://houseofmg.com/pages/the-house-of-mg-bunglow [Accessed 15 Mar. 2025].
Image 4 – Town Planners, C. (n.d.). Available at: https://collietp.com.au/2014/04/hm-re-fashions-melbourne-gpo/ [Accessed 15 Mar. 2025].
Image 5 – Crosling, D. (n.d.). Adapting existing buildings is something that has been going on in Australia for a long time. Available at: https://www.news.com.au/national/thousandyearold-architectural-trend-keeping-australian-cities-alive/news-story/0cd8f67f0b1275685196bcdcfaaee305 [Accessed 15 Mar. 2025].
Image 6 – Godliman, D. (n.d.). Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/429700/ad-classics-the-tate-modern-herzog-and-de-meuron/52291c42e8e44e1a330000cd-ad-classics-the-tate-modern-herzog-and-de-meuron-photo [Accessed 15 Mar. 2025].
Image 7 – Schulz, M. (n.d.). Available at: https://arquitecturaviva.com/works/elbphilharmonie-hamburg-6.
