Reuse conveys new intended use for abandoned sacred architecture, allowing them to change their function to new needs. Adaptive reuse allows people to adapt buildings to new use requirements and preserve the cultural significance of sacred architecture, rediscovering its history and preserving the dominant building characteristics. The research aims concern offers a new approach to the reuse intervention to safeguard and, where possible, increases the architectural values, by seeking new balances between conservation actions and transformations necessary for adaptation to new use. Furthermore, preservation, renovation, and performance improvement of buildings consequently enhance the neighborhood in which they are located. According to this interpretation, the methodology applied looks at the sacred building as a “resource” to be safeguarded for its intrinsic potential and its cultural identity. Nevertheless, the absence of clear and shared criteria for defining a balance between the conservation and transformation of sacred architecture has given rise to numerous reuse interventions of poor quality. This generates two opposite phenomena: numerous abandoned sacred architectures that would require conservation interventions to remain unused or reuse interventions that operate substantial transformations determining the pre-existing structures’ identity loss. This paper provides a comparison between three American case studies in which the compatibility assessment method allows the choice of an appropriate solution between different hypotheses of technological and/or functional design. To this end, various indicators are taken from literature, including users of this type of real estate and its relationship with the community as a sustainable adaptation example of a compatible function. The outcome returns the way to address the optimal choice between the proposed alternatives according to which the compatibility of its cultural significance in the structure’s functionality must be verified.
Adaptive Reuse of Sacred Architecture in New York City
De Medici, S.;
2024-01-01
Abstract
Reuse conveys new intended use for abandoned sacred architecture, allowing them to change their function to new needs. Adaptive reuse allows people to adapt buildings to new use requirements and preserve the cultural significance of sacred architecture, rediscovering its history and preserving the dominant building characteristics. The research aims concern offers a new approach to the reuse intervention to safeguard and, where possible, increases the architectural values, by seeking new balances between conservation actions and transformations necessary for adaptation to new use. Furthermore, preservation, renovation, and performance improvement of buildings consequently enhance the neighborhood in which they are located. According to this interpretation, the methodology applied looks at the sacred building as a “resource” to be safeguarded for its intrinsic potential and its cultural identity. Nevertheless, the absence of clear and shared criteria for defining a balance between the conservation and transformation of sacred architecture has given rise to numerous reuse interventions of poor quality. This generates two opposite phenomena: numerous abandoned sacred architectures that would require conservation interventions to remain unused or reuse interventions that operate substantial transformations determining the pre-existing structures’ identity loss. This paper provides a comparison between three American case studies in which the compatibility assessment method allows the choice of an appropriate solution between different hypotheses of technological and/or functional design. To this end, various indicators are taken from literature, including users of this type of real estate and its relationship with the community as a sustainable adaptation example of a compatible function. The outcome returns the way to address the optimal choice between the proposed alternatives according to which the compatibility of its cultural significance in the structure’s functionality must be verified.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
