Page 197 - Beyond Decommissioning

178 Beyond Decommissioning

process of expropriation (compulsory purchase) began, together with several rehabil-
itation projects. In February 2012, more than 22 years after the expropriation process
began, the city of Piracicaba announced payment of the final instalment. This ensured
the municipality’s full ownership of the former industrial site. In 2014, the site was
designated by the State of Sa ˜o Paulo as a site of historical, architectural, artistic, tour-
istic, and environmental heritage. It was stated in the designation that the factory was

an ‘icon of the so-called Belle Epoque and its history is directly linked to the aboli-
tionist, immigration, and Republican movements in Sa ˜o Paulo.’ Among the most
recent developments are a theatre that opened in 2012 and a project for the Museum
of Sugar, which is still in progress. Several redevelopment plans have been proposed
for the adaptive reuse of the site and buildings by the most famous architects in Brazil
and are discussed in detail in Campagnol (2017).

6.2.2.2 Water pumping houses

A disused water-pumping house was situated in a green suburb of Berlin, Germany.
The building had been unused since the early 1990s because its location failed to
attract businesses and developers. The structure was legally protected but nobody
knew what to do with its lofty main room—built for the giant machinery that had
pumped water since the 1920s—and the four stories at the back without a secondary
exit. Eventually the preservation concept was relaxed a bit and more staircases and
rooftop windows were allowed to be installed. Two artists, who had been looking
for a convenient live/work space for some time, eventually came across this building
and purchased it at a cheap price. Then architects were tasked to convert the pump
house into a home. The outcome includes two distinct living areas, a large kitchen,
and attic living room, along with wide areas that can accommodate a range of
workspaces. This case highlights clearly that absolute integrity (preservation) can
be impractical for a realistic redevelopment project (Arch Daily, 2009).
Unlike the above-mentioned Berlin case, Papplewick Pumping Station, UK, rep-
resent a preservationist approach. This beautiful place was designed in the early
1880s to pump fresh water to the fast growing population of Industrial Nottingham.
The style of the buildings was Gothic Revival. Two early models of steam engine were
located inside. Except for minor modifications, the machinery remained as installed
until the plant was shut down in 1969. A Trust was formed in 1974 to conserve the site
as a static museum, but the plans soon developed to include the refurbishment and
regular steaming of the engines. A major renovation was completed in 2005. Now
protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, the highest preservation order that
can be given to a site in England, the Pumping Station holds regular steaming events,
wedding ceremonies and educational visits (University of Nottingham, n.d.).
A former machine factory in Hengelo, The Netherlands, originally constructed in
1902 and enlarged in 1928, was redeveloped under the name of ROC van Twente, a
regional educational institution, in 2008. The reuse project shows a relationship to the
existing structure that is very different from Halle Pajol (Section 6.7.5.1). Although
some parts of the complex have been demolished, the atmosphere of the past has been
preserved in the remaining hall, regarded as the most valuable part of the complex.