Building Rehabilitation – Tendencies of Functional Transformations in Spain

Abstract

Over the last decade, instead of new constructions, building rehabilitations have become a  focal point of international architecture. The extending approach of heritage protection opened up a broad spectrum of architectural instruments besides the solutions traditionally applied to protected monuments. These contemporary methods serve the sustainability of heritage through their further usage and adaptation for new functions. The paper concerns the problem of integrated monument restoration from the viewpoint of functional transformations and presents the tendencies of conversions featured in the examined period. Stability or gradual disappearance of certain functions is observable, and they can also be defined as flexible or bounded due to their adaptability to different buildings. Functional transformations are influenced by several social, economic and architectural aspects like environmental facilities, architectural values, local construction regulations, structural facilities, spacial arrangement and questions of ownership. The investigation is based on building rehabilitations in Spain where the number of projects allows the establishment of comprehensive conclusions; furthermore, the case studies of high architectural quality also introduce examples for Hungarian practice.