Redefining quay 240: exploring adaptive reuse of a decommissioned grain silo

Abstract

Deindustrialization and its consequences on the built environment are currently evident in Gothenburg. There are several obsolete industrial buildings, centrally located, lacking significant ongoing maintenance, of which the grain silo at Quay 240, Marieholm, is a clear example. A look into the studies of environmental psychologist D. Canter finds that limited accessibility, absence of activity, and unclear building usage cause difficulties to identify the significance of a place. That indicates why disused industrial sites may become subjected to neglect and left to decay. Regarding that as a loss of historical identity and architectural diversity, this thesis addresses the issue by exploring redefining adaptations of the grain silo at Quay 240. Asking how Canters’ principles of place identity can inform the design strategies to redefine the function and identity of Quay 240, the aim is to raise awareness of the value-creating potential of the physical attributes of the silo and its surroundings. That gets explored in three design proposals in which the silo gets adapted through physical interventions. Using Canters’ model for defining a place based on physical attributes, conceptions, and activities, each new function is informed by existing attributes related to the silo and its surroundings and also corresponds to public ideas presented in conjunction with the planning of Gothenburg’s 400th anniversary. The outcome shows a post-industrial temple, an open-air arena, and a greenhouse that each addresses various building-specific attributes and redefines the site. It demonstrates the simultaneous use of Canters’ model as a design tool and for the analytical evaluation of each proposal. Thus, the outcome can be considered a method to approach adaptive reuse of this building typology. Each design proposal is an exploratory contribution to sustainable development in terms of how one could make continued use of a disused industrial silo and how physical interventions can achieve diverse architectural identities that support different activities.