Revitalization of Functionally Empty Industrial Heritage Buildings

PhD project by Alberte Klysner Steffensen

The reuse of the existing built environment has been identified as playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of building culture, with a marked shift towards a greater emphasis on renovation, restoration, and transformation rather than new construction. In light of this, the field of architectural heritage has seen a resurgence in its relevance, emerging as a significant contributor to the broader discourse on the green transition. The paradigm shift from tabula rasa thinking towards the greater utilisation of existing building stock calls for a regenerative preservation practice with greater sensitivity to site-specific considerations and particular attention to the inherent qualities and values of each place as a basis for development.

Murstensfacade. FOto:Alberte Klysner Steffensen

The subject of this research project is Denmark’s mid- to post-war buildings worthy of preservation. These buildings represent a significant historical building stock that is currently facing obsolescence, vacancy, the need for transformation or the threat of demolition. In addition, the industrial heritage remains an under-prioritised and neglected part of the Danish cultural heritage. The buildings worthy of preservation are secured in different ways from municipality to municipality, and several buildings from this period are not officially classified as heritage, although they meet the legal requirements for such consideration and possess heritage potential. The research project aims at exploring the untapped and overlooked potentials in industrial heritage buildings from the recent past. Additionally, it seeks to examine the current challenges associated with adaptive reuse of these buildings and how their transformation can be addressed methodically in accordance with the heritage values.

Understanding the qualities of a place is an architectural and aesthetic challenge that involves a special focus on the complex connections of a place, its inherent values, and hitherto unrecognised potentialities. The project relates to the question of values or valuation of cultural heritage, as it is an essential component of architectural documentation and provides the basis for both the management and decision-making processes related to the conservation of heritage buildings. Consequently, the research project poses the question of whether the prevailing official valuation framework will prove adequate in a future context of building culture, where responsibility for resources, energy optimisation, and reuse are inevitable premises.

The project is based on theoretical studies, architectural-historical analyses, and case studies. The aim is to formulate a methodological approach to the assessment of industrial heritage, focusing on its qualities and development potential. It is hoped that this will contribute to improving the local and practice-oriented conservation and transformation of industrial heritage.

Primary Supervisor: Mogens A. Morgen

Project Supervisor: Charlotte Bundgaard