Architectural Factors Playing a Determining Role in Reuse of Historical Buildings

Abstract

The function that will be given to a historical building should be a sustainable function which is respectful to history, cultural and artistic values of the building and to the environment and suitable for meeting the users’ needs according to physical conditions of the building, and which enables transferring the building to the next generations. In order to decide accurately on this function, a feasibility study should be made. “technical researches” which is one of the phases constituting four phases of feasibility study consists of reports prepared by specialists of the subjects. When it is about reuse of historical buildings, architectures are actively involved in this phase. Architects determines a new function for the building or they searches about the new function put forward as an entrepreneur’s opinion in terms of whether it is appropriate for the building or not. The purpose of this study is to search and determine architectural factors which are determinants in choosing new function for historical buildings. Only architectural factors from the determinants in choosing function are dealt with. According to this, structural factors, environmental factors and additionalbuilding opportunities of the cultural asset should be evaluated and the most appropriate function should be determined.