THE PLAN 159, the eighth and final issue for 2024, is dedicated to upcycling. The cover features the Re-Use With Love headquarters in Bologna, designed by Controluce architettura and MCA – Mario Cucinella Architects.
In the editorial, “Just Do Not Build. The Case for Imaginative Reuse,” author and art, architecture, and design critic Aaron Betsky discusses the reuse and repurposing of buildings and materials. While recognizing the risks of gentrification and high costs, Betsky explains how innovative practices, such as urban mining and architectural upcycling, not only foster environmental and social sustainability, but can also transform derelict spaces into places of beauty, utility, and cultural value.
The Letter from America column features Bucholz McEvoy Architects and ZAS Architects. Their design of the new headquarters of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) harmoniously integrates into its natural environment. The sustainable use of timber and glass, inspired by the local landscape, results in a building that combines energy efficiency, environmental respect, and an aesthetic inspired by the connection between architecture and the passing of time.
In Marghera, Venice, the new Golden Goose headquarters, designed by ML Architettura, combines materials reclaimed from derelict industrial buildings with new constructions. It therefore creates a dialogue between past and present, while representing an innovative model of architectural reuse that celebrates history, creativity, and an eye for the future.
Still in Italy, Controluce architettura and MCA – Mario Cucinella Architects have redeveloped a former power plant in Bologna’s Margherita Gardens for the Re-Use With Love association. They have transformed an abandoned industrial building into a hub for culture and creativity, combining sustainability, historical restoration, and innovation to create an inclusive community space.
In Shenzhen, China, Urbanus focused on urban coexistence in its transformation of the Nantou Hybrid Building, combining historical restoration and contemporary architecture to create a flexible, hybrid space that celebrates the past and welcomes the diversity of the present in a dialogue with the community and local context. The project was Overall Winner of the 2024 THE PLAN Award.
Designed by 3XN GXN, the new headquarters of Tscherning was built entirely with materials reclaimed from the firm’s demolition projects. The result is a unique and eco-friendly building that celebrates sustainability, local history, and the well-being of its users through a combination of authenticity and architectural playfulness.
In Den Bosch, the Netherlands, Superuse Studios has designed Boschgaard, a circular residential complex made from 84% recycled materials. The project grew out of collaboration with a community of former squatters to create self-sufficient homes, integrated with nature and the local area, while promoting the innovative and local reuse of materials.
Also in the Netherlands, Dutch studio Popma ter Steege Architecten has designed BioPartner 5, a laboratory building in Leiden, built using materials reclaimed from a demolished structure. The project shows how circular architecture can reduce waste and environmental impact without sacrificing appearance or functionality.
In its redevelopment of a former garage in Minneapolis, studio b+ (bplus.xyz) applied its selective removal approach to enhance the existing structure, transforming the building into a gallery that celebrates its raw essence, history, and character, all with reduced environmental impact.
In Dübendorf, Max Dudler’s redevelopment in the Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich has transformed a disused hangar into a research laboratory, combining the old and new in a transparent, independent volume that dialogues with the original structure, while enhancing its rhythms, flexibility, and history.
The issue closes with the Zoom column, dedicated to the Centro Direzionale subway station in Naples. The work of Miralles Tagliabue – EMBT Architects, the project has transformed an urban area through a design that, by using organic shapes, sustainable materials, and large green areas, recalls the local environment while contributing to the redevelopment of the area and improving quality of life.