How a Contemporary Architectural Response Could Revitalise a Forgotten Building with a Tough Past - Waikune : a new life for an old prison

Abstract

This paper, focusing on Waikune Prison on the Volcanic Plateau, investigates the adaptive reuse of a neglected prison complex, as an important strategy towards the conservation of built and cultural heritage. The paper focuses on studying different design strategies in adaptive reuse of historic buildings through literature reviews and case studies. By investigating theories of conservation movements and contemporary approaches to adaptive reuse, it will demonstrate that a clear design strategy is key to revitalizing abandoned and neglected buildings. A clear design strategy will identify the aims for preservation of the existing building and how new interventions and additions can be added that are clearly distinguished from the old. The abandoned building’s past can be respected, and a new future facilitated within a new use. Waikune prison in the Tongariro region of the Volcanic Plateau, has been abandoned for more than 30 years. Through research of its past and exploring new uses I hope to demonstrate a possible solution to my research question. The history, environment, context, structure, material, previous function and the proposed function will be analyzed comprehensively as important preparatory work before investigating a suitable design strategy.