Adaptive reuse of industrial heritage complexes as a catalyst for thriving public spaces: The case of Hasanpaşa Gasworks

Abstract

Cities develop and change in response to the changing dynamics of people over time. With the impact of post-industrialization, globalization and rapid urbanization, these changes have begun to be observed dramatically. These changes have been especially dramatic in cities where neo-liberal policies have been intensively implemented. In cities where these policies are intensively implemented, they are generally associated with the commodification and privatization of urban space and the reduction in the number of public spaces. Istanbul has been one of the cities where the commodification of urban space has begun to decline due to the neo-liberal policies adopted after industrialization. In this context, the adaptive reuse of industrial heritage complexes as public spaces has become more important, especially for cities like Istanbul where urban space is under the pressure of capital accumulation. The adaptive reuse of abandoned industrial heritage complexes has been a prominent strategy for creating thriving public spaces, as they have distinctive architectural features that support place identity, heritage value that supports the creation of collective memory, and open spaces that often encourage social engagement. This study aims to evaluate the reuse of industrial heritage complexes to create public space in contemporary cities under the influence of neo-liberal policies. Museum Gasworks was selected as a case study as it is one of the rare examples of the reuse of an industrial heritage complex as a public space in Istanbul and has been in operation for some time for research purposes. Within the scope of this research, spatial configuration, social dimension, and heritage value were evaluated to reveal the quality of the new uses. In this context, Hasanpaşa Gas House was evaluated through physical design parameters that reveal the qualities of public spaces such as accessibility, connectivity, permeability, enclosure, open space use, land use, as well as social design and urban space management parameters such as inclusiveness, social interaction, vitality, security. At the same time, the industrial heritage value dimension of Hasanpaşa Gasworks was included in the scope of the research and the preservation of the original industrial identity, the compatibility of new uses and the awareness of the industrial identity by the users were evaluated. The result of the study reveals the importance of transforming abandoned industrial complexes into a public space by considering the spatial, social and heritage value dimensions. The findings of the research show that the industrial heritage complex, which was renamed as Museum Gaswork after the transformation, is an important example of reuse to meet the public use needs of users at both local and regional scales. With its physical, social, management approach and industrial heritage conservation approach, it is concluded that Museum Gasworks will set an example for future industrial reuse projects.