Many industrial buildings of the XIX century or early XX century belong to the cultural heritage of historical monuments. In the Interreg Atlantic area, there are several examples of old industrial buildings belonging to the so called “industrial archaeology”.
The first objective of the current proposal is to identify relevant industrial buildings existent in the Interreg Atlantic area that are currently out of use and have potential to be rehabilitated and reintroduced for the use of the community. Then, the main goal is to find ways of repurposing these buildings in a way that they can be re-used and incorporated in the community life.
As a first step, it is important to assess the current state of these “abandoned” or “out of use” old industrial buildings. Because of this situation, many of them are suffering a rapid decay that in some cases can be considered as irreversible. This is caused by the decay of the materials and construction elements and, in many cases, is accelerated by the climate, atmospheric conditions, erosion and corrosive environment that result from the proximity of the sea.
In a second step, it is mandatory to find new uses for these buildings, involving the local authorities and interested agents. A group of refurbishment and rehabilitation works should be proposed. The choice of case study examples will be made by considering the building industrial history, country of location, constructive characteristics and potential for future reuse.