Adaptive Reuse: Transformation of Railway Roundhouses Into Community Art Centers

Abstract

Empty lands and abandoned buildings taken over by nature are very common in our world. Some are unknown to anyone and are somewhere in the wilderness. Most people do not even realize the existence of some of the historic buildings that are abandoned today. There are many abandoned roundhouses in the world that are no longer in use due to the loss of their relevance, which will be discussed later in the thesis. Unfortunately, there is no exact data on the number of abandoned buildings. However, it is worth noting that most of them have not yet been demolished due to the fact that they are the property of cultural heritage. Considering that many roundhouses once had an important purpose are now abandoned, the question arises what can be done to give them a second life and approach the renovation of a railway roundhouse without losing its distinctive character by redesigning it into a community art center as each building has its own unique history, characteristics, and qualities that are different from others. Keywords: empty lands, abandoned buildings, nature takeover, historic buildings, roundhouses, renovation, railway roundhouse, distinctive character, community art center, unique history