Cultural heritage is increasingly recognized as a key contributor to the quality of urban life, appreciated for its historical, cultural and aesthetic values. At the same time, worldwide, built heritage sites are under pressure from urban development, loss of original function and neglect. Adaptive reuse is the architectural transformation of ‘old buildings’ to facilitate ‘new uses’ while respecting heritage values. As an alternative to destruction and new development, adaptive reuse provides solutions that help preserve historic urban and rural landscapes and that contributes to circularity and sustainability.

This exhibition shows examples of adaptive reuse projects in the Netherlands and Turkey. It demonstrates what can be achieved through thoughtful intervention, collaborative efforts and the reconciliation of historical and architectural values and contemporary needs. Although each adaptive reuse project is carried out in a different setting, faces different challenges and needs to find its own unique solutions, there is much that can be achieved by sharing experiences and expertise.

Most of all, this exhibition is intended to inspire and to initiate conversations about connecting past, present and future in the built environment.

The Old Buildings, New Uses traveling exhibition is part of the Adaptations program that takes place in Ankara, Kayseri, Antakya, Izmir and Istanbul in 2022, and that also includes expert meetings, lectures and workshops. The Adaptations program is an initiative of the Netherlands Institute in Turkey (NIT) and the Netherlands Diplomatic Mission to Turkey.

The Dutch examples were initially brought together for the exhibition Reuse, Redevelop and Design: How the Dutch Deal with Heritage. This exhibition was commissioned by the National Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE). The selection of Turkish examples was organized by KORDER (Association of Restoration and Conservation Specialists in Turkey). A committee consisting of the representatives from KORDER, NIT, the Netherlands Diplomatic Mission to Turkey and METU Graduate Program in Conservation of Cultural Heritage selected the Turkish examples for this exhibition.