Retail-Reuse: an interior view on adaptive reuse of buildings

Abstract

AdapTIve reuse, which implies partly changing the function and programme of a building and physically adapting it to new needs and requirements, has become an increasingly important part of contemporary architectural and interior architectural practice. Also in the retail sector, a significant part of the occupied buildings are historic buildings that initially had other historic buildings that initially had other functions but are now transformed into shops and other commercial functions. This practice, which we have called ‘retail-reuse’, faces particular opportunities and threats for the heritage Sector as well as the retail sector. Many projects therefore fail as to conservation standards, or as a commercial retail environment. Existing studies on retail-reuse are scares and focus on its isolated aspects such as urban regeneration, sustainable design or customer behaviour. A study on the tension between retail and heritage preservation from the smaller scale – the interior – does not exist so far. Therefore, we look at the phenomenon of retail-reuse with an interior view, investigating its threats and opportunities. As such our first question is; “what is the relationship between adaptive reuse of historic buildings and retail design? Is there added value for both sectors?” However, in order to elaborate on retail-reuse from an interior point of view, we need a lexicon rooted in and built on the particular qualities of the interior. Therefore, we added another research question: “how to develop a specific lexicon, building upon the particular qualities of the interior?” which we addressed first based on examples of adaptive reuse in general, before moving to the particular case of adaptive reuse into retail. The goal of this study is to develop a specific lexicon by introducing new concepts that describe the particular relation between the existing building and the new (interior) intervention, and elaborate further on existing concepts that are used in relation to adaptive reuse and heritage preservation but which currently lack an interior architectural contribution (Part one). Moreover, it aims to formulate recommendations on a conceptual level to support and improve the quality of retail-reuse projects. Therefore, we firstly describe the tensile relationship between heritage conservation on the one hand, and retail design on the other hand in order to describe the specific problems and opportunities of retail-reuse as a phenomenon, and secondly we identify the different stakeholders involved in retail reuse projects, and their specific interests (Part two).

The development of a specific lexicon in described in part one, including chapters one to four. In chapter one we discuss the vocabulary used throughout this paper. We define ‘adaptive reuse’, in relation to ‘reuse’, ‘renovation’, ‘adaptation’, ‘alteration’, remodelling’, refurbishment’, and ‘rehabilitation’. We elaborate on the meaning of ‘interior architecture’, and how it is similar or different from ‘interior decoration’ and ‘interior design’. In chapter two we sketch the evolution of the emerging discipline of adaptive reuse, focussing on the development of its theory. We show that adaptive reuse theory-and practice-is influenced by both heritage conservation and architecture. We distinguish four approaches in contemporary adaptive reuse theory: typological approach, technical approach, programmatic approach, and strategic approach. We note that there is a fifth approach that received little attention so far and that builds further on the building’s soft values, its interior qualities; we call this the ‘interior approach’. This interior approach is further explored in chapters three to four. In chapter three we describe three strategies for adaptive reuse that involved copying as a method for adaptive reuse. We introduce three concepts from Renaissance art theory into the theory of adaptive reuse: translatio, imitatio, and aemulatio: each of these concepts describes a particular relationship between the copy and the model which we recognize in selected examples from contemporary adaptive reuse practice. In chapter four we elaborate further on three concepts that are at the core of conservation and architectural theory today by looking at them for an interior perspective: sustainability, and genius loci. In part two, including chapters five to seven, we focus on retail-reuse in particular. In chapter five we firstly explain the legal framework for protection and safeguarding of immovable heritage in Flanders. We do, however, not aim to give a complete overview of the legislation, but we focus on two aspects that are important in relation to our study: adaptive reuse, and protection and reuse of historic interiors. Secondly, we outline the opportunities and threats for retail-reuse for both parties (retail sector and heritage sector) on the basis of the typology of the host space. We rely on literature about adaptive reuse in general, and on practical example retail-reuse. Our results are summarized in a detailed SWOT-analysis. In chapter six we go deeper into the role of the different stakeholders involved in retail-reuse projects, based on ten case studies in Flanders and the Netherlands. In chapter seven we present a concept for the measures that we believe could and should be taken by the Flemish government to stimulate reuse of (protected) historic buildings by the retail sector and to improve the overall quality of such projects from the point of view of both the heritage and retail sector. The proposed measures include policy measures, and in a limited extent also legal measures. We conclude with a reflection on the process of this research and its valorisation. We also elaborate on aspects of education: the importance of adaptive reuse for the conservational, architectural, and above all interior architectural education; the methods and tools that we could teach the students in order to reveal the genius loci of the host space. Additionally we make suggestions for further research in the field of adaptive reuse. We stress the importance of exploring the possibilities of adaptive reuse of buildings with historic interiors, as well as the need to find suitable programmes for vacant (historic) buildings.