Adaptive Reuse as a Tool for Sustainability: Tate Modern and Bilgi University Cases

Abstract

Examples of “adaptive reuse” have started to be applied for giving new functions to the structures in the historical environment are commonly used in the world and in Turkey. According to the current planning practice, future applications should be done with consideration of different dimensions of sustainability. The aim of this study is to examine Tate Modern and Bilgi University Campus that used to have similar functions and were inhabited before restoration interventions in the sustainability framework. Both cases were refunctioned with adaptive reuse concept. The structures transformed from energy buildings to serve as art museum and educational/cultural functions. Cases were compared in terms of sustainability principles. Social, economic and ecologic benefits of physical interventions were asked on structures which couldn’t continue their original functions and functioned by adaptive reuse. Results support the positive impacts of adaptive reuse not only for the structures themselves but also for the environments they were located.