Castle on edge : adaptive reuse of Cargill’s Castle and its site

Abstract

RESEARCH QUESTION: How can adaptive reuse in architecture restore life to a forgotten heritage building to satisfy the needs of the community?

ABSTRACT: Over the years, a heritage building can be disregarded and over time become derelict. The re-purposing of a building is the perfect soil, whereupon new creative ideas produce spaces that are a unique response to a specific cultural and historical location.

The adaptive reuse of a building allows for different levels of interventions, which can be minor or essential to the fabric of a new design programme. Proposals to change heritage sites tend to be considered by the community with a certain level of concern, as they embody their history and culture; these proposed interventions aim to respect and celebrate the cultural heritage of the city while giving a new life to the local heritage site.

Cargill’s Castle on Dunedin’s coastal cliff, south-east of the city, is the selected site for this adaptive reuse project. Today the abandoned building has no programme or function; it is a derelict structure on the edge of the cliff. The adaptive reuse takes into consideration the social, historical and geographical aspects, which direct it towards the best design response. At the same time, the preservation of surviving original elements is considered essential to retain the cultural heritage of the building.

Modern and 19th-century writings on conservation and restoration of historic buildings are analysed and studied to direct the project towards the most suitable restoration outcome.

Related material: https://cargillscastle.co.nz/