Cultural
Pittsburgh Opera
Project Name:
Pittsburgh OperaLocation:
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USACompletion Date:
2008Original Use(s):
air brake factoryNew Use(s):
opera houseProject Description:
History
George Westinghouse built the structure back in 1869 to serve as his original air brake factory. The 45,000 square foot building is located in Pittsburgh’s Strip District.[1] The plant stopped production around 2000.[2]
(Re)Developer
Originally known as the Pittsburgh Opera Society, the organization was founded in 1939 and is the eighth oldest company in the United States. In addition to its mainstage productions, Pittsburgh Opera produces a range of programs to engage and enrich the community with more than 20,000 students, families and educators participating in its educational events annually. The internationally renowned Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist Program is among the country’s top five training centers for rising opera stars and the administrative and rehearsal space provides for events ranging from free community Brown Bag concerts to concert recitals by world-class opera singers. Pittsburgh Opera’s long-standing commitment to artistic excellence, responsible financial management and good neighborship will play a key role and asset for the city of Pittsburgh.[3]
Outcome
The new facility has provided Pittsburgh Opera with the space to house the resources needed to better prepare for performances at the Benedum, while opening up a whole new way for the community to experience all the artistry that is part of opera. In an effort to maintain the Company’s mission to enrich Pittsburgh and the tri-state area, the Opera has committed to the use of sustainable methods in the renovation and maintenance of the new headquarters, striving to obtain a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Operations and Maintenance Certification in early 2010.[4]
A number of sustainable features are a result of the project renovation; including, the installation of low flow water fixtures, occupancy sensors, efficient lighting, new mechanical equipment, and daylighting. Other elements have influenced the building’s ongoing operations; areas of continued focus include:
- Recycling
- Sustainable Purchasing
- Water Conservation
- Wellness
- Employee Education
- Green Cleaning
- Building Air Quality Monitoring
- Responsible Site Management
- Energy Management and Usage Reductions
- A Green Practices Team, “Team Verde”[5]
[1]Pittsburgh Opera
[2]Wikipedia
[3]Pittsburgh Opera
[4]Pittsburgh Opera
[5]evolveEA
Images courtesy of Pittsburgh Opera
Des Moines County Heritage Center
Project Name:
Des Moines County Heritage CenterLocation:
Burlington, Iowa, USACompletion Date:
2009Original Use(s):
libraryNew Use(s):
museumProject Description:
History
The building had long served as the Burlington Public Library. It was originally built in 1898.
(Re)Developer
The Des Moines County Historical Society took ownership of the public library and began full renovations in order to expand their museum collections.
Outcome
The renovations included new heating and air conditioning, updated lighting, collection storage and creative exhibit galleries. Helping to commemorate and promote the history of the county, the adapted building will serve the needs of the community for years to come. It now includes an interactive map room, military gallery, the Bart Howard Room (faux nightclub), the 19th Century Gallery, a children’s exhibit, the Agricultural Gallery, and the 20th Century Gallery.
Images courtesy of Des Moines County Historical Society and Robert Maihofer.
CITY MUSEUM
Project Name:
CITY MUSEUMLocation:
Saint Louis, Missouri, USACompletion Date:
1997Original Use(s):
shoe factory and warehouseNew Use(s):
museum and residential loftsProject Description:
History
The building was once home to the International Shoe Company. At 600,000 square feet, it included a shoe factory and warehouse.
(Re)Developer
Purchased in 1993, the site found a new purpose and life thanks to Bob and Gail Cassilly. Bob, a classically trained sculptor and serial entrepreneur, spent four years reworking the site for his new vision.[1]
Outcome
Opened in 1997, the museum is not only an example of adaptive reuse itself but its displays and elements are repurposed architectural and industrial objects. It includes such features as old chimneys, salvaged bridges, construction cranes, miles of tile, and two abandoned planes. “CITY MUSEUM makes you want to know,” says Cassilly. “The point is not to learn every fact, but to say, ‘Wow, that’s wonderful.’ And if it’s wonderful, it’s worth preserving.”[2]
Some of the exhibits include: shoelace museum, World Aquarium, Enchanted Caves and Shoe Shaft, Skateless Park, and MonstroCity. Thanks to the success and vibrancy of the museum, Cassily has used the City Museum as a neighborhood anchor to help develop several nearby commercial and residential buildings as well as include lofts within the shoe factory.[3]
[1]Wikipedia
[2]CITY MUSEUM
[3]Wikipedia
Images courtesy of Wikipedia, UNC Asheville Multimedia Arts/Sciences Council, and artnet.
The High Line
Project Name:
The High LineLocation:
New York City, New York, USACompletion Date:
2009Original Use(s):
elevated railwayNew Use(s):
public parkProject Description:
History
Opened in 1934 as an elevated railway, the High Line was established to provide greater safety by separating rail and street traffic. As the US invested more money in the interstate highway system in the 1950s and 60s, rail lines across the US experience decreasing traffic and use. The High Line was eventually shut down as a railway in 1980.
(Re)Developer
The non-profit Friends of the High Line was founded in 1999 to advocate for the reuse of the railway as a public open space. Through their efforts and research, New York City worked with the federal government in order to establish this new park space. The design of the park was developed through an open ideas competition.[1]
Outcome
The park offers residents the opportunity to relax and walk through the city with an exciting lofted view. Still under construction, the park when completed will be a mile and a half long. It will run through the West Side neighborhoods of the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea, and Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen.[2] What once was a derelict expanse of unused metal now is cohesive and welcoming public amenity.
[1]The High Line
[2]The High Line
Images courtesy of The High Line.
Pigsty Showroom
Project Name:
Pigsty ShowroomLocation:
Germany, EUCompletion Date:
Original Use(s):
pig barnNew Use(s):
showroomProject Description:
History
Built in the 18th century to serve as a pig barn, this building had seen better days. Serving this singular purpose for most of its life, the pigsty was partly destroyed during World War II and was falling apart.
(Re)Developer
The current owner decided that he would like to convert the building into a showroom. FNP Architekten was brought onto the project to help realize this dream.
Outcome
The architects employed a special method that both protected and yet did not touch the shell of a building. The frame of a “house” was placed within the pigsty. This allows the entire interior of the new building to rely on the inner shell, rather than the 1780 structure. The new roof provides an overhang that protects the outer walls and yet sits on the new shell, adding pressure only to the new building. Windows were constructed in the same locations as the original structure, preserving the outer facade.[1]
[1]Greenline
Images courtesy of FNP Architekten and Greenline.
Gasometer City
Project Name:
Gasometer CityLocation:
Vienne, Austria, EUCompletion Date:
2001Original Use(s):
utilityNew Use(s):
residential, commercial, culturalProject Description:
History
The Gasometers were built between 1896 and 1899 in the Simmering district of Vienna near the Gaswerk Simmering gas works of the district. The containers were used to help supply Vienna with town gas. At the time, the design was the largest in all of Europe. The Gasometers were retired in 1984 due to new technologies in gasometer construction, as well as the city’s conversion from town gas and coal gas to natural gas. In 1978, they were designated as protected historic landmarks.
(Re)Developer
Vienna undertook a remodelling and revitalization of the protected monuments and in 1995 called for ideas for the new use of the structures. The chosen designs by the architects Jean Nouvel (Gasometer A), Coop Himmelblau (Gasometer B), Manfred Wehdorn (Gasometer C) and Wilhelm Holzbauer (Gasometer D) were completed between 1999 and 2001.
Outcome
Each gasometer was divided into several zones for living (apartments in the top), working (offices in the middle floors) and entertainment and shopping (shopping malls in the ground floors). The shopping mall levels in each gasometer are connected to the others by skybridges. The historic exterior wall was conserved. One of the ideas rejected for the project was the plan by architect Manfred Wehdorn to use the Gasometers for hotels and facilities for the planned World Expo in Vienna and Budapest. On 30 October 2001, the mayor attended the official grand opening of the Gasometers, but people had begun moving in as early as May 2001. The Gasometers have developed a village character all their own and are a city within a city. A true sense of community has developed, and both a large physical housing community (of tenants) as well as an active virtual internet community (Gasometer Community) have formed. Numerous theses and dissertations in psychology, urban planning, journalism and architecture have been written about this phenomenon. Indoor facilities include a music hall (capacity 2000–3000 people), movie theatre, student dormitory, municipal archive, and so on. There are about 800 apartments (two thirds within the historic brick walls) with 1600 regular tenants, as well as about 70 student apartments with 250 students in residence.[1]
[1]Wikipedia
Images courtesy of TreeHugger.com and Wikimedia.
Tate Modern
Project Name:
Tate ModernLocation:
London, England, UK, EUCompletion Date:
2000Original Use(s):
utilityNew Use(s):
museumProject Description:
History
Designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the former Bankside Power Station served London for less than 40 years before being closed down. It was built in two stages between 1947 and 1963 and was closed in 1981. Sir Giles Gilbert Scott was also the architect of the Battersea Power Station. The southern third of the building was retained by the French power company EDF Energy as an electrical substation (in 2006, the company released half of this holding).[1]
(Re)Developer
Tate, a public institution, realized in the 1990s that its growing collection was outgrowing its originally location on Millbank. To alleviate pressure, it was decided to provide a new museum dedicated to modern art. Consultations led to the decision to reuse an existing building which brought Tate to the old power station. Its immense size and superior location on the Thames opposite St Paul’s Cathedral and the City of London made it a sure bet. The building was converted by architects Herzog & de Meuron and contractors Carillion, after which it stood at 99m tall.[2]
Outcome
In just eight years Tate Modern has changed London and revitalized the South Bank of the Thames. Tate Modern has transformed a previously underdeveloped area of London and has helped give the city a new image as a leading center of contemporary culture. It has become a key landmark for London, while its program and architecture have won international acclaim. Since 2000, more than 30 million people have visited Tate Modern – it was designed for 1.8 million visitors annually, but has reached an average of 4.6 million visitors over recent years.[3]
[1]Wikipedia
[2]Tate Modern
[3]Tate Modern
Images courtesy of iNeTours, White Mouse Burrow, and About.com
MASS MoCA
Project Name:
MASS MoCALocation:
North Adams, Massachusetts, USACompletion Date:
1999Original Use(s):
numerous industriesNew Use(s):
museum, small business centerProject Description:
History
The site has been used for industrial purposes for hundreds of years. The 26 buildings on the site create interlocking courtyards and passageways and are coupled with bridges, viaducts and elevated walkways. Between the late 1700s to mid 1800s, the site included: “wholesale shoe manufacturers; a brick yard; a saw mill; cabinet-makers; hat manufacturers; machine shops for the construction of mill machines; marble works; wagon- and sleigh-makers; and an ironworks, which later forged armor plates for the Civil War ship, the Monitor.” In 1860, Arnold Print Works set up operations at the site and became one of the leading producers of printed textiles in the world. It built 25 of the 26 present buildings. Arnold consolidated its operations in Adams, Massachusetts, in 1942. Later that year, Sprague Electric Company set up shop and retrofitted the interiors to allow for the production of electronics. Competition from abroad forced the company to shut down the location in 1985.
(Re)Developer
Local leaders began the process by identifying the site as an opportunity for reuse. At the same time, Williams College Museum of Art was in need of exhibition space. With the teamwork of the city government and Williams staff, the state legislature announced its support and funding for the project in 1988. In the end, the structure was adapted through state, nonprofit (institutional), and private funding.[1]
Outcome
The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arty (MASS MoCA) opened in 1999 and has since created a ripple effect with new investment in the surrounding area. To offset some of the cultural center’s operating costs, MASS MoCA also includes space that it leases out to businesses in an effort to support small business development in the area. “The arts create and bestow community identity. A strong identity rallies confidence, hope, productivity, pride and economic vibrancy. These are base conditions for a healthy community; they cannot be created, however without risk, adventure, and the willingness to embrace the new.”[2]
[1]MASS MoCA
[2]MASS MoCA
Images courtesy of Ragged Cloth Cafe, Kwaree, Traditional Fine Arts Organization, Inc., The Boston Globe, and Nicholas Whitman.