Uses of industrial heritage: cases in transformation I

Examples from several continents, in Europe, South America, North America, Turkey, show strong continuity in the objectives that govern the reuse of industrial buildings, for example the concern to take into account the industrial heritage as a resource for urban and territorial development, or the close links that it has with culture, whether it is used to house cultural facilities or more simply to bear witness to the history and memory of the place. Increasingly, policies for the reuse of industrial heritage are part of more global programs of urban and territorial transformation: renovation of canals and waterways formerly used by industry, reactivation of old railway lines, taking into account the "heritage ecosystem", a multidisciplinary approach that takes into account the place of a building in its urban environment, but also as an element of a production chain, the interest of a remarkable building that allows the adaptive reuse of a site, etc.

However, national models – or habits – persist, various issues guide projects, and controversies emerge: what place should be given to local memories – which may be divergent, conflicting, or even alternative to the 'official' history? What trade-offs should be made between private initiatives or support and public institutions? How can architects, urban planners, social sciences scholars and heritage communities work together, especially when divergent interests emerge? Behind the already old conflict of legitimacy between economic interests and heritage value, many situations are unfolding which show the vitality and inventiveness of the actors of the reuse of industrial heritage sites.

Each session will be introduced very quickly by the session chairman. The papers will be followed by a discussion at the end of each of the three sessions.