Page 58 - Beyond Decommissioning

The fundamentals of industrial redevelopment 39

that the public should have some access to the historic property as a compensation for
their loss. A compromise could perhaps consist of reducing the amount of (restricted)
residential development in return for greater public access to other historic houses or
other parts of the site (Colliers, 2015). A comprehensive review of stakeholder posi-
tions (often conflicting) in regard to the preservation vs adaptation dilemma is given in
Bullen and Love (2010). A conciliatory view is offered by this statement: “Examine
each question in terms of what is ethically and aesthetically right, as well as what
is economically expedient. A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity,
stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise”
(Aldo Leopold 1887–1948).
Finally, a caveat. The rehabilitation projects often require the conservation and/or
selective conversion of single valuable buildings while the remaining edifices are
demolished. In rare cases, the entire industrial complex is saved, so preserving its
formal integrity. Some argue that “the selective conservation of ‘convenient’ frag-
ments of history” can result in a permanent loss of realism and character, and an
inconsistent representation of the past. By altering its compositional unity, the com-
plex can become incomprehensible. On the other hand, maintaining unaltered the
industrial complex reduces the reuse options and makes redevelopment costlier.
Therefore, to fully preserve the industrial identity is as undesirable as to completely
erase the history.
In some cases, the redevelopment of the entire site can drastically change the cul-
tural landscape, and affect the memory attached to individual buildings onsite. In fact,
a building cannot be viewed in isolation and regardless its setting. Likewise, it is
unreasonable to rework isolated elements and ignore the surrounding areas. The
answer consists in an integrated approach, which takes into account both the buildings
and its environs. At the same time, different scale of interventions can be selected on a
case-by-case basis (Trifa, 2015).

The architect should strive continually to simplify; the ensemble of the rooms should
then be carefully considered that comfort and utility may go hand in hand with beauty.
Frank Lloyd Wright (1869—1959), 1908

2.4 The museums

What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined … to
strengthen each other … to be one with each other in silent unspeakable memories.
George Eliot (1819–1880)

Museums and heritage places are key elements in our culture. They document in a
tangible form who we were, who we are now, and tell us about our future. Museums
show how we have changed overtime: the machinery, the clothing, and the artworks.
Buildings and other structures identify the spaces of cultural change. They highlight
technological, social, and intellectual change of the people who used them through