Industrial Heritage and Adaptive Reuse in Corfu: Reinterpreting Industrial Buildings

Abstract

This paper examines the industrial building stock of Corfu as an underexplored component of
the island’s cultural heritage, with a focus on adaptive reuse potential. Despite Corfu’s well
documented monumental and defensive architecture, its industrial heritage remains
insufficiently studied and lacks systematic spatial and typological documentation. Grounded
in industrial archaeology (Tagil, 2003; Slotta, 1992), the study integrates archival research,
spatial analysis, and architectural interpretation to analyse selected industrial sites. The
findings reveal a strong coastal concentration of industrial buildings, a dominance of agro
industrial typologies, and a critical condition characterised by abandonment, partial loss, and
limited reuse. The research addresses a significant empirical gap by providing the first
structured spatial and typological dataset of Corfu’s industrial heritage. It contributes to
broader debates on industrial archaeology and adaptive reuse by proposing a framework for
understanding industrial landscapes in Mediterranean island contexts and highlighting their
potential role in sustainable urban development and cultural continuity.