Construction challenges of adaptive reuse of historical buildings in Europe

European cities celebrate their past by preserving significant buildings that mark their history. Building preservation can range from complete restoration to adaptive reuse. While restoration is an expensive process of returning a building to its original condition, adaptive reuse is a more practical process of preserving part of a building's historical fabric, while updating it for modern uses. Adapting historical buildings creates many construction challenges, which are best addressed during pre-construction. Careful planning and creative techniques are required to meet these unique challenges. This paper addresses some of the challenges, including feasibility, construction, and structural issues of adaptive reuse of buildings using examples from four significant European projects: 1) Musee d'Orsay, Paris, 1986; 2) Tate Modern Museum, London, 2000; 3) Alter Hof, Munich, 2005; and 4) Maritim Hotel Erlweinspeicher, Dresden, 2005. All projects were visited by the authors in summer 2005 as part of a Study Abroad program sponsored by the department of Building Science at Auburn University. The paper features information and photographs gathered directly during site visits. It is an attempt to use recent projects to expand the existing body of knowledge regarding construction of adaptive reuse buildings.