Functional reconversion
Introduction
Architectural exaptation is a concept in architecture and urban design that involves the reuse of buildings, structures or architectural elements for new uses that differ significantly from their original purpose.[1][2][3][4] This practice goes beyond mere adaptation, since it involves a transformative process in which the original functions are substituted or replaced by completely new ones.[5][6] It is a concept that encompasses flexibility, creativity and innovation in the use of spaces and architectural structures.
The term exaptation, originally coined by paleontologists Stephen J. Gould and Elisabeth Vrba, [7] is used in the field of evolutionary biology. It describes how certain elements that have evolved for a specific function can be reused or adopted for an entirely different function. In architectural terms, this can be seen when buildings or parts of them, designed for a specific purpose, are used with a completely different function. This phenomenon manifests itself through two main mechanisms: functional change and functional co-option (called exaptation by Telmo Pievani).
Architectural exaptation is an interdisciplinary concept that links architecture and archeology. Architectural exaptation challenges traditional views of design in architecture that emphasize a deterministic approach where form strictly follows function.[8] This concept, instead, extols the adaptability and innovation potential of existing structures[9]and is highly relevant in contemporary discussions of sustainability, as it promotes the reuse of existing elements, inviting more creative reuse of existing architectural resources.
There are different examples of architectural exaptation, which can vary from the conversion of industrial buildings into cultural or residential spaces, to the ingenious reuse of minor architectural elements within the same larger building. As best-known examples, we can point out the Tate Modern museum in London, which went from being a power plant to a modern art gallery, the elevated park of the High Line "High Line (New York)") in New York City, an elevated railway converted into an urban park, the Ponte Vecchio "Ponte Vecchio (Florence)") in Florence, the Arenas Bullring in Barcelona and the temporary appropriations of public spaces.[10].
Architectural exaptation is not just about physical transformation; It also encompasses the change in the philosophical discourse of how we perceive the built environment. It advocates a more fluid and imaginative design approach where the potential of a building or space is not limited to its original function. This concept calls on architects, urban planners and designers to think beyond conventional boundaries and explore the multifaceted potential of the built environment.
References
- [1] ↑ «Architectural Exaptation: When Function Follows Form». Routledge & CRC Press (en inglés). Consultado el 3 de octubre de 2023.: https://www.routledge.com/Architectural-Exaptation-When-Function-Follows-Form/Melis-Pievani-Lara-Hernandez/p/book/9781032358031
- [2] ↑ Melis, Alessandro; Pievani, Telmo (2022), «Exaptation as a Design Strategy for Resilient Communities», en Rezaei, Nima, ed., Transdisciplinarity, Integrated Science (en inglés) (Cham: Springer International Publishing) 5: 307-327, ISBN 978-3-030-94651-7, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-94651-7_15, consultado el 11 de agosto de 2023 .: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94651-7_15
- [3] ↑ Lara-Hernandez, Jose Antonio (1 de enero de 2023), «Chapter 29 - Building urban resilience through infrastructure exaptation», en Allam, Zaheer; Chabaud, Didier; Gall et al., eds., Resilient and Sustainable Cities (en inglés) (Elsevier): 537-549, ISBN 978-0-323-91718-6, consultado el 11 de agosto de 2023 Se sugiere usar |número-editores= (ayuda).: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780323917186000219
- [4] ↑ Melis, Alessandro; Lara-Hernandez, Jose Antonio; Melis, Barbora (1 de enero de 2022). «Learning from the biology of evolution: exaptation as a design strategy for future cities». Smart and Sustainable Built Environment 11 (2): 205-216. ISSN 2046-6099. doi:10.1108/SASBE-08-2021-0141.: https://doi.org/10.1108/SASBE-08-2021-0141
- [5] ↑ Lara-Hernandez, Jose Antonio (2022), «Resilience, Architectural Exaptation, and Temporary Appropriation», en Carta, Maurizio; Perbellini, Maria R.; Lara-Hernandez, eds., Resilient Communities and the Peccioli Charter: Towards the Possibility of an Italian Charter for Resilient Communities (en inglés) (Cham: Springer International Publishing): 257-264, ISBN 978-3-030-85847-6, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-85847-6_27, consultado el 12 de agosto de 2023 .