Abstract

The memory we have of a certain space gives meaning to its form and architecture, and consequently a significant place in our minds. As we think of the past, we often remember the places we have been in light of the occurrences endured there, associating a place with an emotion and a particular event. These memories are innately a part of every design process. The memories, in this sense, are not fixed, but are linked together. These links can form a type of architecture based on archetypes and memories, leading to a variety of innovative designs. The memories of an architect and those of a user and community can be combined with needs and trends of the present to form a space which will in turn be adaptable for the future.
In the architecture of adaptive reuse, some historic aspects of a structure, for example the façade and exterior massing, can be fixed and thus preserved, while the interiors are retrofitted for a new use. The memory of what the structure once was in its civic sense is therefore preserved, while the interior spaces provide it with the flexibility of present and future adaptation.
As the former largest corporation in the world, the Reading Railroad removed the central portion and ‘heartbeat’ of Reading, PA. after it closed down in the 1970’s. The remaining structures and tracks on the site are rarely, if ever, used. The Reading Yard now sits as an insurmountable void within the surrounding city, which lies bewildered and unsure of a use for the space. The adaptive reuse of the remaining structures and land can provide a means of survival through the memories of the railroad, while a continuously evolving programmatic layout can form new memories, creating a new cultural identity for the city.

Abstract to be edited more in the following week