Adaptive reuse

An overview of projects, products and exclusive articles about adaptive reuse

Project • By Studio RE+NCommunity Centres

Dalinggen Village Tea House

The Dalinggen Village Tea House, designed by Studio RE+N and honored with an Architizer A+ Award Special Mention in the Unbuilt Commercial category, is set to complete construction around June 2025. This 200-square-meter cultural and community hub is nestled in the Organic Tea Valley Park of Songyang County, Zhejiang Province. The project creatively repurposes a former signal tower and mechanical room into a lively center for cultural engagement, while preserving the tower’s functionality and celebrating the area’s longstanding tea heritage. Studio RE+N Studio RE+N Studio RE+N Arriving from the southwest, visitors are welcomed into a reception area reached by a winding, ascending path that mirrors the strolls of... More

Project • By De Zwarte HondAuditoriums

Herta Mohr

Commissioned by Leiden University, De Zwarte Hond has completed the circular renovation and extension of the former Cluster Zuid building of the Faculty of Humanities. Architect Joop van Stigt designed Cluster Zuid for the Faculty of Humanities of Leiden University in the late 1970s. This impressive example of structuralist architecture was re-inaugurated on 8 October as Herta Mohr. It now offers 11,400 m² of space, plus car parking, with more than 700 teaching spaces and self-study places, two lecture theatres, work and meeting rooms and common rooms. The building also houses the libraries of Leiden’s African Studies Centre and the Middle Eastern Studies programme. De Zwarte Hond Caption De Zwarte Hond Better ori... More

Project • By S9 ArchitectureCommunity Centres

Pier 57

Pier 57 is a 1950’s feat of engineering – a 320,000 SF building which floats on concrete caissons in the Hudson river. This historic structure has been redeveloped in a collaboration with Google and Jamestown as a new cultural and community landmark in the neighborhood of Chelsea. Peio Erroteta Peio Erroteta S9 was responsible for the design of the entire main floor of the pier which includes public community “living rooms”, community and educational rooms, a gallery for the Hudson River Park Trust, two restaurants, water taxi landing, an experiential and immersive art space in the caisson, and a 7,000 SF Market Hall curated by the James Beard Foundation that is committed to celebrating New York City&rsquo... More

Project • By S9 ArchitectureOffices

Neuhoff

Abandoned for half a century, the sprawling Neuhoff meat-packing complex is poised to become an exciting new addition to Nashville’s resurgence. S9 Architecture re-envisioned the riverfront property with a comprehensive design that retains and repurposes much of the existing buildings, while strategically incorporating new construction throughout the site. Seth Parker Seth Parker S9’s master plan features a connective network of pedestrian pathways, courtyards, public roof terraces, and cantilevered catwalks that create a series of experiences for visitors. The 1.3-million-square-foot project houses a mix of offices, cultural spaces, residential units, and retail/dining establishments. Seth Parker Caption... More

Project • By b720 Fermín Vázquez ArquitectosOffices

Simon SWITCH - New Headquarters

The rehabilitation of the old Simon factory to house the new Simon Corporate Headquarters arose from the need to unify the more than 350 employees of the two previous office locations in Barcelona under the same roof. The project is based on the idea of preserving the essence of the existing construction, a concrete industrial building from the second half of the 20th century, but introducing elements that allow to identification of the new use, and to place the new Simon Corporate Headquarters in the center of the technological development of the city. The Headquarters is symbolically named SWITCH, the abbreviation for “Simon Worldwide Innovation Talent Community Hub”, and also a nod to the electrical switch, one of the tradema... More

NewsNews • 22 Oct 2024

Stadswinkel Tilburg by Common Affairs longlisted for Archello Awards 2024 Adaptive Reuse of the Year

Archello Awards 2024 has revealed its longlist for its projects of the year categories. The longlists celebrate the very best building products, architecture projects and firms selected from over 1,000 entries for the second edition of Archello's annual awards program.   Stadswinkel Tilburg: longlisted for Adaptive Reuse of the Year Arjen Veldt Dutch architectural studio Common Affairs has completed the circular transformation of the Stadswinkel in Tilburg in the southern Netherlands. The newly renovated building now offers a bright and welcoming central place in which residents and businesses can meet city officials in a relaxed setting. Arjen Veldt Arjen Veldt The Stadswinkel in Tilburg is one of the fi... More

NewsNews • 8 Oct 2024

Archello Awards 2024 Longlist – Adaptive Reuse of the Year

Archello Awards 2024 has revealed its longlist for Adaptive Reuse of the Year. The longlists celebrate the very best building products, architecture projects, and firms selected from over 1,000 entries for the second edition of Archello's annual awards program.   Brighton Dome Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre FCB Studios (Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios) The next chapter for this magnificent Regency Building, upgrading and restoring the buildings to provide a dynamic cultural venue for the city and the region. Set in historic Regency gardens...   Capua 1880 Headquarters and Production Complex GEZA Architettura Capua1880, a Company producing citrus essential oils for the most authoritative companies... More

Project • By Flad ArchitectsLaboratories

Ohio University Chemistry Building/Clippinger Labs

Ohio University recently completed a multiphase expansion and renovation project, which included constructing a 72,000-square-foot new Chemistry Building and renovating the existing Clippinger Laboratories building. Flad Architects collaborated with architect of record BHDP on all phases of the project. Cory Klein Cory Klein Originally constructed in 1965, the existing Clippinger Laboratories building housed the Departments of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Geography, Geological Sciences, and Physics & Astronomy. In recent years it had outlived its original life expectancy. The university needed new and updated space to accommodate enrollment growth and the equipment required to invest in innovative research. Cory Klein... More

NewsNews • 30 Aug 2024

OMA completes adaptive reuse of former bakery in Detroit

International architecture and urbanism practice OMA has completed LANTERN, an adaptive reuse project in Detroit. OMA’s first project in the city, LANTERN is a new mixed-use community hub that centers around the arts and education. It is located in Little Village, a part of the East Village neighborhood of Detroit that seeks to extend the city’s cultural revival beyond the downtown core. John D’Angelo Jason Keen Led by Jason Long, a Partner at OMA New York, LANTERN is the adaptive reuse and renovation of a former disused commercial bakery and warehouse — it was home to Blue Bird Baking Company from 1929 until the 1960s. The renewed and reconfigured 22,300-square-feet (2,072-square-meter) complex is... More

Project • By The Room Architecture and DesignOffices

Maersk Cambodia Office

The workplace design for Maersk Cambodia embodies adaptability and productivity within the dynamic global logistics sector. The expansion from 1,050m² to 2,100m² underscores their commitment to accommodating team growth and enhancing staff experience amid escalating customer service demands. Robin Narciso Robin Narciso Robin Narciso Robin Narciso At the forefront is a seamless integration of technology, facilitating online collaborations, precise data analysis, and diverse meeting spaces. The office features 17 meeting rooms, intuitive booking systems in open collaborative zones, a spacious pantry for 200 staff, and a versatile training room with movable partitions, ensuring acoustic optimization for various e... More

Project • By Bohlin Cywinski JacksonOffices

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Philadelphia Studio

The studio is an adaptive re-use of the former Midday Club, founded in 1929, at the historically listed 123 South Broad Street in Philadelphia. The space was more recently used as a library reading room for a law office. Our goal was to create a highly flexible work environment that provided varied options for staff to move quickly between individual work, impromptu discussions, and group meetings throughout the day. In creating the new space, we considered occupant well-being, efficient material and resource use, and integration of modern elements within a distinctive interior framework. Jeffrey Totaro Bohlin Cywinski Jackson The studio takes advantage of large windows that bring natural light indoors while offering panoramic vi... More

Project • By McIldowie PartnersPrimary Schools

Memorial Hall

The restoration and refurbishment of the 1920s Memorial Hall at Christ Church Grammar School thoughtfully preserves its gothic-revival features while enhancing the multi-purpose functionality of the building. Eve Wilson Eve Wilson Nestled at the eastern end of the tight inner city Christ Church Grammar campus, Memorial Hall was long overdue for a refurbishment – one that would respect the building's historical significance while also allowing students and alumni to use the space to its full potential. Eve Wilson As a performance space, there were two primary focuses: the stage and the balcony.Although the stage, framed in a classic proscenium arch, was structurally in good working order, the stage floor was too high f... More

NewsNews • 3 Jul 2024

Circular’s colorful design for New York City preschool is guided by Passive House standards

Brooklyn-based architectural studio Circular has completed the adaptive reuse of a partially constructed commercial building into a new public preschool. Guided by Passive House standards, the project is a welcoming and sustainable community initiative. Frank Oudeman Circular The Corona 3K Public Preschool is located in Corona, a diverse and fast-growing neighborhood in the Queens borough of New York City —  here, more than 30 percent of residents are under 18 years old. The preschool sits on a busy corner site, adjacent to an elevated subway train. “The design and engineering prioritized creating excellent indoor air quality, ensuring that occupants are shielded from outdoor pollutants, while also provid... More

NewsNews • 12 Jun 2024

Brewhouse Apartments: A testament to adaptive reuse comes to Warsaw

In the heart of Warsaw, where history intertwines with contemporary urban life, the Brewhouse Apartments project by JEMS Architects Studio is a remarkable testament to adaptive reuse and architectural creativity. This residential complex, transformed from a historic brewery into modern living spaces, offers a distinctive blend of heritage preservation and cutting-edge design. The design stands out for its façade, made of mobile shutter panels in a copper colour. These panels allow the façade to change its form, which in turn makes the entire building feel more alive. Juliusz Sokolowski The project is located in a previously undeveloped area of 4.4 ha and forms part of a broader masterplan, also by JEMS, that includes... More

NewsNews • 3 Jun 2024

New Quebec library by ACDF Architecture is an exercise in thoughtful adaptive reuse

Canadian architectural firm ACDF Architecture has completed the new Bibliothèque T-A-St-Germain in Saint-Hyacinthe, a city in south-western Quebec. Striking a balance between efficiency and aesthetics, the library reimagines an existing 1980s office building with an additional contemporary extension. An exercise in adaptive reuse, the project effectively reduces embodied carbon and celebrates what is possible with a thoughtful architectural intervention. Adrien Williams Adrien Williams ACDF Architecture has reframed the notion of a traditional library, designing a 52,200-square-feet (4,850-square-meter) cultural hub with a varied program spread across three floors. The library’s amenities include a series of... More