Wow!: Converted Spaces

Preservation and conversion are two ways of dealing with the effects of time and entropy on buildings. Preservation implies few, if any, changes to the structure, but converting a building or space requires adapting it in order to meet the needs of different users over time. At some point most structures undergo alteration and changes, which can range from a minor extension of a working building to the complete renovation of a ruin. As such modifications accumulate over the years, so they record the superimposed cycles of change in uses, ideologies, technologies and economics, forming a palimpsest of the societies, people and lifestyles they have witnessed. This book illustrates this process by presenting a number of different conversion projects, including the regeneration of whole areas as well as the conversion of individual buildings. In addition to photographs of the new spaces, the volume includes sketches, floor plans, sections, interior elevations, axonometrics and all other relevant design and construction details.