THE ADAPTIVE REUSE OF EXISTING BUILDINGS APPLICATION ON LIBRARY FUNCTION

Abstract

Recent socio-economic researches interpret "The Restoration Economy" as the major reigning paradigm in the 21st Century. Considering the current state of Human civilization, the whole humanity is now at a crucial transition from Our "New Development" Past to Our "Restorative Development" Future. In order to reduce the ambiguity of the restorative development applied within the built environment, the principles and aspects have to be spotlighted. Consequently, the research considers the complexity of the adaptive reuse which is a main process of the restorative development application in the built environment. The research studies the adaptive reuse of old buildings, whether as valuable or obsolete, while focusing on libraries as a special building type. The limitation to libraries is due to several reasons; besides the systematic requirements of spaces. and structure, libraries are considered a real "living building type" directly reflecting the reigned www paradigm. Also, a library is one of the passive use building types;. it presents therefore a• positive control over the gentrification of the revitalized neighborhood. All this characteristics, distinguishing the library function type, impose another layer of complexity while dealing with the a,daptive reuse process. This research addresses the complex issue of the rehabilitation of existing buildings towards their conversion into modem Ii?rary use. It aims at bridging the gap between well-researched academic work and practical books, whilst revealing the potentials and the problematic issues involved in the process, reconciling the different adaptive reuse concepts, methods and former international successful experiences. The first part of the research considers adaptive reuse as one of the conservation processes, through approaching its different justifications, its main critical point - as the appropriate use selection and the consequent imposed debates. It inspects the library as building type defining its design concerns, qualitative and quantitative requirements. It illustrates the "pro" and "con" points of the adaptive reuse to libraries, the extent of adaptability for library conversion in the different building type. And finally, it illustrates the former examples of adaptation all while emphasizing the concluded resulting criteria when assessing a building for library conversion. The second part is the study cases, where the research considers the development .of adaptive reuse project to library use on both international and local level, in order to study the problematic and potential of such process and the corresponding architectural interventions.