Page 191 - Beyond Decommissioning

172 Beyond Decommissioning

The architect Ricardo Bofill picked up the dilapidated site of Spain’s largest
cement factory, at Sant Just Desvern, near Barcelona, in 1973. The factory consisted
of a series of stone silos and contained chimneys, wide underground tunnels and a
furnace from the early 1900s: it was indeed a cold and unattractive building. And
yet Bofill viewed the plant ideal to transform “the ugliest thing” into something beau-
tiful. The result, a striking renovation resembling a castle or cathedral for its mix of
monumentality and comfort, serves as a model in reinventing a space and an example
of adaptive reuse.
The transformation process began with the demolition of 70% of the 5000-m 2
facility to leave hitherto concealed forms visible, as if the concrete had been
sculpted. Once the spaces had been defined, cleaned of cement and embellished
by new greenery, the adaptation process began. Eight silos remained, which were
converted into offices, a models laboratory, archives, a library, a projection room,
and a huge space nicknamed “The Cathedral,” used for exhibitions, concerts, and a
whole range of architectural functions. The landscape was enriched with olive trees,
cypress, and other plants.
The reshaped interiors include experimental and surrealist designs. Bofill calls La
Fabrica a “ruin that has been remade and restructured,” ready for almost any reuse.
Much of the living space suggests the building’s industrial past. This project proves
that imagination can adapt any space to a new function, no matter how different it may
appear from the original one (Curbed, 2015).
Mills converted to mixed use (retail shops, offices, restaurants, theaters, museums,
apartments)
There are numerous advantages in converting a site to mixed uses. Having mixed land
uses for commercial, housing, recreational, and educational purposes allows residents
to meet and interact with one another. This will create active and diverse communities.
Besides, a mix of uses increasing the number of people on the street and a wider com-
mercial base will increase the vitality and security of an area, and will convey substan-
tial fiscal and economic returns to the community. Commercial uses in the vicinity of
residential areas often raise local tax revenues, and increase the property values
(EPA, 2014).
The comprehensive redevelopment of Lister Mills is considered to be one of the
key projects for the Bradford District, UK. This iconic building, once a symbol of Bra-
dford’s industrial past, had become a symbol of its industrial decline, until the Council
partnered with the developers of the Mill, Urban Splash (Yorkshire) Ltd., to deliver a
phased redevelopment of the site.
The original Mill built by Samuel Cunliffe Lister in 1838 was destroyed by fire in
1871, but had been reconstructed by 1873: this is the current Grade II* listed building.
Once the world largest manufacturer of silk and velvet textiles, with a peak staff of
over 11,000 people, the Mill closed in 1992 due to the general decline of the textile
industry in the UK. The buildings gradually deteriorated.
Finally acquired by development specialists Urban Splash in 2000, plans were pre-
pared first to revitalize the 4.45 ha South Mill Site through a mixed residential and
commercial scheme. Initially the large size of the site, its ruined condition, stringent