rethink, repurpose, and listen Despite the young age, Phoenix still has a history and a culture that, though fragile and delicate, is in tact and dotted with several significant historical events and important architectural achievements. Already some, in the name of quick development and lower initial costs, have been threatened or have even been erased from cultural memory. The city must elevate the value being placed on 'architecture' as the 'mother art.' Frank Lloyd Wright said ', without an architecture of our own, we have no soul of our own civilization.'
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“Inspired re-development is enhancing communities, stabilizing neighborhoods, cultivating art and culture, incubating local businesses and renewing life in old properties.” It is critical that, as designers, architects, developers and planners, we
The reuse of an existing facility has many layers – it makes references
RETHINK the nature of adaptive reuse as a wonderful way to REPURPOSE
to a past and to a future – superimposed one over the other and creating
the rich and delicate history of our city, before we carelessly consider
a potential for something far richer than the often-typical
removal. Reuse may not always be the appropriate option, but in all
‘one-dimensional’ nature of new architecture many times tends to be.
cases, it makes sense that it should be seriously considered and tested
When an old space can be revived to take on a new use, both the past and
before moving forward with a new project. Lorenzo Perez, of Venue
the future use of the building are celebrated and honored. Restaurants
Projects, (one of the creative minds behind the Windsor/Churn project on
have often led the way in this pursuit. The well-known LGO (La Grand
Central Ave.) offered a wise piece of advice: “Inspired re-development is
Orange) restaurant and grocery, as well as the neighboring restaurant,
enhancing communities, stabilizing neighborhoods, cultivating art and
Postino, adapted inside the old Arcadia Post Office, were ably
culture, incubating local businesses and renewing life in old
transformed in the mid-1990’s.
properties.” This is an important lesson when we think about the mid-century architecture of Phoenix from 1945-1975. “Landmarks anchor
Typically, it takes a team of sensitive and creative people who know
us into both time and place,” said Alison King (of ModernPhoenix.net)
their discipline well and can collaborate as they LISTEN to the old
about the rich area known as 'Architects Row' at Central Avenue and
structure, straining to understand what it can become and what it
Camelback Road, where the recent revival of several of these 'landmarks'
already is. This initial “reading” of the building is one of the most
have resulted in thriving businesses growing out of adapted structures.
critical steps in the Adaptive Reuse process of design and needs to happen early and carefully by a team of experts. The existing building
When asked if he would like a new building or an old building for a
will provide significant clues to the new use of the spaces. By example,
restaurant, Chris Bianco (Award Winning chef known for his famous
in a recent adaptive reuse of the 1963 Arizona Bank building, which was
Pizzeria Bianco) said, “I would always prefer the funky old one….” Life
transformed into the new Vig Uptown Restaurant, the precast concrete
becomes richer when things tie into and relate to other things; it is
vault was discovered under layers of remodeled cover-ups and
powerful and transformative when old things inform the way new things
celebrated as the wine storage area in the middle of the new restaurant.
are done.
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