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Pierre Thiébaut
Old Buildings Looking for New Use. 61 Examples from
Europe
242 x 297,5 mm, 276 pp. with 400 ill. in b & w and colour, English
ISBN 3-936681-08-2
Euro 69.00, sfr 108.00, £ 48.00, US $ 86.00, $A 118.00

The regions of Europe have an architectural heritage that is a thou-

sand years old; today’s challenge is to integrate this heritage into
contemporary life in a sustainable way.
From the first, architecture has always aimed to adapt to the
way of life of the society it serves, but few buildings have come
down to us intact and as they were originally designed. Since the
second half of the 19th century the speeding-up of history has
increased the rhythm of change and has led to continual restruc-
turing, extension and conversion.
These changes have brought about the use of more and more
innovative techniques, based on flexibility and reversibility, but the
weight of materials, the time needed to implement these pro-
grammes, financial constraints and cultural compartmentalisation
have deferred many of these projects and left us with a museum
heritage frozen in time and quite unrelated to the original purpose
of the buildings.
What can be done with buildings looking for new use – a fort-
ress without an army, a château without a lord, a workshop with-
out an artisan, a factory without workers, or even an abbey with-
out monks or a church without a congregation?
The rise of a new national or international style or the creation Distributors
of innovative techniques does not necessarily damage the integrity
of a place. Modern techniques and materials, such as glass and Brockhaus Commission
steel, have a transparency, lightness, flexibility and reversibility that Kreidlerstraße 9
make them highly suitable for integrative undertakings. D-70806 Kornwestheim
The examples presented in this book all demonstrate a desire Germany
to be considered as »local« projects and to take their place in an tel. +49-7154-1327-33
evolutionary interpretation of history. After more than a century of fax +49-7154-1327-13
conflicting debate on the subject of rehabilitation, it seems that the [email protected]
aims expressed in the Charter of Venice have borne fruit by giving
rise to quality and personalised buildings that themselves are a Gazelle Book Services
contribution to this debate. White Cross Mills
Pierre Thiébaut studied architecture in France and in the USA Hightown
(where Louis Kahn was one of his professors), and is also a gradu- Lancaster LA1 4XS
ate in planning of the Institut d’Urbanisme de Paris and the Ecole United Kingdom
Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris. Prior to his present tel. +44-1524-68765
activity as a writer of articles and books on architectural rehabilita- fax +44-1524-63232
tion and teacher at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture [email protected]
de Paris La Villette, he was an Architecte des Bâtiments de France
heading the Service Départemental du Patrimoine du Conseil Gé- National Book Network
néral de Seine et Marne. 15200 NBN Way
Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17214
USA
tel. +1-800-4626420
fax +1-800-3384550
[email protected]
 Pierre Thiébaut Old Buildings Looking for New Use
The regions of Europe have an architectural her-

Old Buildings itage that is a thousand years old; today’s chal-

lenge is to integrate this heritage into contempo-
rary life in a sustainable way.

Looking for New Use From the first, architecture has always aimed
to adapt to the way of life of the society it serves,
but few buildings have come down to us intact
and as they were originally designed. Since the
61 examples from Europe second half of the 19th century the speeding-up
of history has increased the rhythm of change and
presented by has led to continual restructuring, extension and
conversion.
Pierre Thiébaut These changes have brought about the use of
more and more innovative techniques, based on
flexibility and reversibility, but the weight of mate-
rials, the time needed to implement these pro-
grammes, financial constraints and cultural com-
partmentalisation have deferred many of these
projects and left us with a museum heritage
frozen in time and quite unrelated to the original
purpose of the buildings.
What can be done with buildings looking for
new use – a fortress without an army, a château
without a lord, a workshop without an artisan, a
factory without workers, or even an abbey with-
out monks or a church without a congregation?
The rise of a new national or international style
or the creation of innovative techniques does
not necessarily damage the integrity of a place.
Modern techniques and materials, such as glass
and steel, have a transparency, lightness, flexibili-
ty and reversibility that make them highly suitable
for integrative undertakings.
The examples presented in this book all demon-
strate a desire to be considered as »local« pro-
jects and to take their place in an evolutionary
interpretation of history. After more than a century
of conflicting debate on the subject of rehabilita-
tion, it seems that the aims expressed in the Char-
ter of Venice have borne fruit by giving rise to
quality and personalised buildings that themselves
are a contribution to this debate.
Pierre Thiébaut studied architecture in France
and in the USA (where Louis Kahn was one of his
professors), and is also a graduate in planning of
the Institut d’Urbanisme de Paris and the Ecole
Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris. Prior
to his present activity as a writer of articles and
books on architectural rehabilitation and teacher
at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture
de Paris La Villette, he was an Architecte des
Bâtiments de France heading the Service Dépar-
temental du Patrimoine du Conseil Général de
Seine et Marne.

Menges
069.00 Euro ISBN 978-3-936681-08-6
108.00 sfr 58600
048.00 £
086.00 US $
118.00 $A 9 783936 681086
Old Buildings Looking for New Use
61 examples from Europe
presented by
Pierre Thiébaut

Edition Axel Menges

 Introduction 6 Casina Can Cardenal, Olot, Spain 172
Individual house, Le Beaucet, France 176
Musée d’histoire de la ville, Luxembourg 180
Archaelogical heritage 10

»Magazzini romani«, Civitavecchia, Italy 12 Farming heritage 184

Archaeological Museum, Naxos, Greece 16
Teatro de Sagonte, Spain 20 Grange, Chevannay, France 186
Musée des Tumulus, Bougon, France 24 Museo della terra, Grangia di San Pietro, Latéra, 190
Museo Andréa Guardi, Piombino, Italy 28 Italy
Mairie, Belmont d’Azergues, France 194
»Wohn-Silo«, Lukasod, Germany 198
Aristocratic heritage 32 Musée ornithologique, Les Hauts de Bonaguil, 202
France
Temple de l’Amour, Isle-sur-Serein, France 34 Grange, Machault, France 206
Palazzo della Pilotta,Galleria Nazionale, Parma, Italy 38 Museo Vostell, Malpartida de Caceres, Spain 210
Musée de la Marine de Loire, Châteauneuf-sur-Loire, 42 Grange, Chargey-lès-Port, France 214
France
Schloss Horst, Gelsenkirchen, Germany 46
Castello di Rivoli, Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Italy 50 Craft heritage 218
Ericsson Palace, Prague, Czech Republic 54
Moulin de Crevant, Thouars, France 220
Water tower, Utscheid, Germany 224
Military heritage 58 Ocrerie de Sauilly, Diges, France 228
Carrière souterraine d’Aubigny, Taingy, France 232
Castle of Montemor-O-Velho, Portugal 60 Brewery, Bath, England 236
Castello di Piombino, Italy 64 »42 The Calls«, Leeds, England 240
Caerphilly Castle, Wales 68
Fort Napoléon, Ostend, Belgium 72
Royal Castle of Koldinghus, Vejle, Denmark 76 Industrial heritage 242
Castelgrande, Bellinzona, Switzerland 80
Schloss Juval, Italy 84 Museo della Carta, Isola del Liri, Italy 244
Castillo de Pénafiel, Spain 88 Centre historique minier, Lewarde, France 248
Suomenlinna info centre, Inventory Chamber, Hel- 92 Rheinisches Industriemuseum, Oberhausen, Ger- 252
sinki, Finland many
Heritage interpretation centre, Brie Comte Robert, 96 Musée des arts contemporains MAC’s, Le Grand 256
France Hornu, Belgium
Musée de la mine, Cagnac-les-Mines, France 260
Stadtbibliothek, Landau, Germany 264
Religious heritage 100

Chiesa di San Donato, Castelnuovo di Farfa, Italy 102 Photo credits 268
Monastir de Santa Maria de Poblet, Tarragona, Spain 106
Stiftung Kloster Frenswegen, Nordhorn, Germany 108
Abbaye de Nieul-sur-l’Autise, France 112
Instituto Rei Afonso Henriques, Zamora, Spain 116
Kunsthaus, Mürzzuschlag, Austria 120
Musée d’art sacré Francis Poulenc, Rocamadour, 124
France
Monastir de San Pedro de Rodes, Port de la Selva, 128
Spain
Chapelle du Saulce, Island, France 132
Cathedral of Skara, Sweden 136

Institutional heritage 140

© 2007 Edition Axel Menges, Stuttgart / London
ISBN 978-3-936681-08-6 Alte Nikolaischule, Archäologiemuseum, Leipzig, 142
Germany
All rights reserved, especially those of translation Centro cultural Templo de San Marcos, Toledo, Spain 146
into other languages. Cementerio de Castelnou de Bages, Spain 150
Katholische Universität, Eichstätt, Germany 154
Centre de Promotion, Vleeshuis, Gent, Belgium 158
Reproductions : Reinhard Truckenmüller, Stuttgart
Printing and binding : Everbest Printing Co., Ltd.,
China Domestic heritage 162

Translation into English: Neil Stratton Städtisches Museum, Böblingen, Germany 164
Design: Pierre Thiébaut Zuiderzee Museum, Enkhuisen, Holland 168
A bridge, a canopy, a temple of love
in Burgundy A few paces from there, on the abutments of a ruined 19C
bridge, the words of a new Temple of Love.

Temple de l’Amour,
Isle-sur-Serein, France

Architects:
Dirk Jan Postel (Kraaijvanger Urbis)

On the edge of the park of the old château a converted 18C

folly is devoted to the romantic memory of the meetings
between the Princess of Orange and her lover.

2
5

3 1

4
Site plan

1 Temple of Love I (18C folly)

2 Temple of Love II
3 River Serein
4 19C bridge (local road)
5 Ruined bridge

34 35
 The trap door in the ground leading to the cellar, now glazed,
makes this modest space bathed in reflections full of a luxuri-
ant vegetation mingled with the babbling of the river still more
intangible.

Detail, roof structure

The pier of the old bridge houses a low The smooth, slightly ochre concrete sur-
vaulted room serving as a dwelling, with face blends with the tones of the original
the square pavilion above; parapets of local Massangis stone, even
though differing in texture.
The light roof clad with metal is placed
simply on its supporting walls of lami-
nated glass braced by small panels of
toughened glass.

36 37