Old+new: Revitalizing the Corban Estate Arts Centre by Adaptive Reuse Architecture

Abstract

Preservation of historical pasts has always been a global issue. Without a doubt, modernization in conjunction with the industrial revolution has constituted a higher degree of convenience in the daily lives of many people. Almost every city is actively occupied in demolishing old buildings and hence replaced them with modernized infrastructures such as tall, glazed towers. Therefore, why do we need to be concerned with obsolesce historic buildings that are within this rapid-moving society? Do they possess any potential to be alive? Buildings are not built to last forever; they have life spans up to a certain point in time and it is important to realize that this is inevitable. However, the process of conservation is capable of extending their lifetime. One key approach in conserving a historic building is injecting new public activities that will frequently revitalize the community. Together with the new activities, the building is able to interpret the past and also offer a sense of connection to our common cultural legacy. Every single building has its own narrative, and it is the architect's role to pull out those stories. This design thesis has selected the Corban Estate Arts Centre in Henderson, West Auckland (Waitakere City) as a case study to show how abandoned historic buildings can be reinvigorated within a community. The Corban Estate Arts Centre (CEAC) utilizes historic winery buildings that are mostly built approximately 100 years