Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates worked with Wellesley College to revitalize the toxic brownfield of Alumnae Valley, an area which previously hosted the college’s power plant, industrialized natural gas pumping stations, and a 175-space parking lot. The project cost substantially less that it would have been to wholly demolish and redevelop the area, and further serves as a precedent for adaptive reuse.Īlumnae Valley, Wellesley College, Wellesley MAĭesigner: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates The park’s attractions include naturalized plantings that are inspired by the self-seeded landscape that grew on the disused tracks, unexpected views of the city and the Hudson River, and cultural attractions that are thoughtfully integrated into the architecture and plant life. After years of public advocacy, it has been resurrected as a park that’s become one of the city’s most popular destinations. The High Line is a one mile stretch of abandoned elevated railroad on New York’s West Side, which was under threat of demolition. Reuse: Abandoned Transportation Infrastructureĭesigner: James Corner Field Operations, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and Piet Ouldorf The aim was to change the industrial landscape with minimal intervention, recycling and visually renewing decaying architectural objects into poetic places that pay homage to the site’s past. The transformed site creatively repurposes existing structures, and throws in number of amenities that promote recreation and community, including a deep diving pool, a rock climbing wall, picnicking areas, hiking trails, and multiple performance spaces-all woven together to create tapestry of memorable places. Rather than looking at the site’s disturbed and complex conditions as nuisances that should be erased or camouflaged, they worked carefully to mine them for their creative potential. Working on a 570-acre site of a former steel plant, Latz + Partners’s goal approached their reuse and reclamation project with optimism. Landscape Park Duisburg Nord in Duisburg, Germany Reuse & Reclamation: Post-Industrial Factory Landscape It is considered revolutionary for its reclamation of polluted soils using the natural processes of bioremediation. This groundbreaking project has been celebrated for its ability to garner local support and shift public perceptions of post-industrial landscapes. A central feature, the boiler house, was converted into a picnic shelter complete with tables and fire grills, while a former exhauster-compressor building was turned into an open-air play barn that houses a maze of brightly painted machinery for children. ![]() Gas Works Park was built on the location of a former coal gasification plant in 1965. ![]() ![]() Reuse & Reclamation: Abandoned Industrial Site These 10 case studies showcase the creative approaches global city governments, preservationists, developers and the design community have taken to transform marginalized places into healthy and meaningful environments for everyone to enjoy. To highlight the significance of these spaces, and the potential that they hold to become something more than a blight, we’ve gathered up a series of projects that illuminate how designers use unlikely opportunities to transform landscapes into spectacular spaces-all while preserving their historic and cultural meaning. These neglected places, while often having a negative impact on the environment and surrounding community, are simultaneously part of our cultural heritage. Landscape architects frequently work to transform areas that contain industrial and toxic waste, infrastructure no longer in use, or land affected by war, natural disaster or disuse.
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