Causes of Buildings＇ Abandonment in the Years 1960-1990

When a relatively new building is not being fully utilized, there must have existed, at one time, a change in its initial conditions. The aim of this research is to study the changes in the initial conditions which cause buildings to be underutilized and analyze whether the demolition was justified. Causes can be found in problems due to the building＇s management, as the owners make the main decisions concerning the buildings. Additionally problems are due to the location where the building is constructed because site conditions changes a lot in one generation. The use of the building can also be a cause of abandonment as the original use can end before the lifespan of the building. Architectural style can be dated as fashions and styles change rapidly. Finally, causes can be in the physical condition of the buildings： structure, construction, installations and adherence to current regulations. In this article, the authors provide guidelines demonstrating how buildings of a past generation which were initially considered obsolete, can be properly reused.

A tale of the new and the old:renovation of Yong'an Warehouse at Yangpu waterfront,Shanghai

The urban riverside space of Shanghai is transforming.How to renovate industrial heritage buildings to renew their vitality while retaining their historical memories and integrate them into the contemporary cityscape and today's urban lifestyle is a common challenge encountered by contemporary architects.This article takes the renovation of Yong'an Warehouse as an example to showcase a typical heritage conservation project's design process.The architects took different approaches to accommodate the different statuses of the twin buildings of the Yong'an Warehouse,seeking to create a symbiotic twin relationship between the past and the present.This project adopted a conservation and utilisation approach that involves multilateral participation,emphasising value-oriented mythology,and providing an alternative thread for the renovation of historical architecture.

Reflections on Architectural Heritage Conservation in Shanghai

Research on the last 30 years of architectural heritage conservation in Shanghai would highlight the establishment of both a preliminary system for heritage classification and gradation,as well as an authorised heritage institution framework.During the course of this process,different conservation methodologies and models(restorations,additions,relocations,extensions and reconstructions)have been put into practice according to the actual situation of the historic architecture of Shanghai.An overall view shows how architectural heritage conservation in Shanghai has undergone three different phases-initial;experimental;and the deepening conservation phase,on which a fundamental step was given in 2002,when the Shanghai Municipal Government issued the‘Legislation for the Conservation of Historical Areas and Heritage Architecture in Shanghai’,creating a conservation system that is participated by the authorities,academic institutions,design institutions and construction companies.The article also stresses the need to provide for a special system of architectural heritage conservation in Shanghai,acknowledging the specificity of its cultural heritage,administrative system,legislation,codes,building technologies and materials;as well as its particular historical situation.