REUSING ARCHITECTURE
Reusing buildings is not a recent practice. Early examples of reuse can be traced back to as early as the 15th century where the Baths of Diocletian in Rome were converted into a Church by Michelangelo (Brooker, 2004, p9).
Although the concept existed, for many years architects looked upon reuse as a necessary evil, preferring to create reputations based on spectacular new buildings. This was especially true during the modernist era where old buildings were held with little regard and the avant-garde focused on innovation. The loss of many significant buildings during this period lead to the loss of key figures of local and national heritage and identity (Schittich, 2003, p9).
Since the beginning of the 1970's, investment in existing structures has been increasing in comparison with investment in new construction (Schittich, 2003, p11). In recent years, ordinary buildings of little representational character, heritage protection or architectural significance, that would previously have been demolished are being reused (Schittich, 2003, p19).
Reusing architecture involves taking the past and making it suitable for the future. The presence of a building provides a sense of continuity through different ages, whilst the sensitivity of its reuse provides a remembrance of former functions and values for the future, engraining memory within its very structure (Brooker, 2004, p9).
Czumalo extends this concept of providing a remembrance through reuse:
METHODS OF REUSING:
There are many different approaches to reusing a building which involve different levels of change to the original structure. These methods can be used individually or combined. They can be defined in the following terms:
If a historic building is restored, it is transferred to the present time, to modernity. The continuity of its existence is channelled into the present. Reconstruction is ultimately a reconstruction of meanings, a translation into contemporary language... it is also a source of identity (Czumalo, 2012, p49).
It is the remembrance of a buildings past which preserves its identity of an individual structure or collectively of a town or city.
The nature of globalizing cultures has made it possible for contemporary identities to coexist with the traditional (Bandyopadhyay and Montiel, 2013, pxiv). Reusing and combining contemporary elements provides a balance between respecting and preserving 'historical layers' also allowing for a 'layer of today' to be added. When done respectfully, this can enhance the identity of a building or context.
However, the reuse of a building depends on many wider factors other than the preservation of identity.