Page 24 - Beyond Decommissioning

Introduction 5

Today’s world coexists with a huge number of industrial ruins (sometimes called
Contemporary Ruins, because they do not date back more than 100 years or so). These
are public or private, designed for handicraft or mass production, residential, military,
or commercial, and they may also be on vastly different scales, from small to large
buildings, infrastructures, or entire ghost towns. These ruins include two categories:
unfinished and abandoned buildings. The basic difference is that while the latter have
had an operational lifespan ending with abandonment, the former have never been
completed and used. These, one might say, were born as ruins, have no history,
and have never known human attendance.
Deindustrialization reflected in severe economic, social, and environmental
impacts on abandoned areas. Disused industrial areas became economically down-
graded, socially distressed, and environmentally deteriorated through industrial con-
tamination. No longer useful for their original functions, industrial buildings have
remained as concrete memories of a long gone era. The pressing question is now what
to do with these old buildings: do we demolish them and build afresh or do we invest in
their redevelopment? This is the challenge that faces public authorities, architects,
land planners, sociologists, and the general public at large.
Derelict land, according to the European Union, refers to “land so damaged by
industrial or other developments that it is incapable of beneficial use without
treatment.” The European Union suggests Unused Area as one of the indicators of
urban quality of life, the concept consisting in the combination of Derelict Land
(as defined previously) and Contaminated Land (defined as “any land that appears
to be in such a condition—because of the substances that it contains—that water pollu-
tion or significant harm is being, or is likely to be caused”). The notion of derelict land
may be considered almost a synonym for brownfield (Centre of Land Policy and
Valuations, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, 2014).
Perceiving beauty in industrial buildings has been instrumental to their redevelop-
ment, although beauty is not the only factor in their conservation. Years—often
decades—after these buildings became obsolete and abandoned, their simple, wide-
open spaces, and the visibility of their construction materials have kindled the imag-
ination of new generations. Although there are many reasons for the reuse of industrial
buildings and sites, the charm of the industrial esthetic has been often vital to the suc-
cess of their rescue and redevelopment. Regardless of their dilapidated conditions and
ruined shapes, former industrial buildings also represent a form of heritage in which
people may recognize valuable cultural assets—a form of community capital. Conse-
quently, many of these sites have been awarded a heritage designation intended to pro-
tect by the force of law and conserve the buildings, the surrounding land, and
associated cultural values. Due to their architecture and evocative meanings, many
of these vacant sites have become important landmarks (Sugden, 2017). For mankind,
the remains of old industries offer a link with our ancestors, which can be passed on to
our children and grandchildren.
It is interesting that some industrial buildings from the last century are still consid-
ered “ugly” by many. And when such buildings are listed or receive public money for
conservation, there is always a wave of protest. In truth, the debate is not different