Revitalization of historic buildings is not an easy task
If a structure is entered on the list of historical monuments in a given area, it is supervised by the art conservator competent for the region. They make the final decisions on the acceptance or rejection of requests for renovation or changes. On the other hand, this does not mean that such a building has to remain unused and in poor technical condition. Revitalization means also a new hope for this type of building.
The term revitalization has been very commonly used in recent years, or sometimes even abused. However, only after the concept was defined by the Polish law, it was given an appropriate definition. From this point of view, the Act of 9 October 2015 on revitalization is crucial. The Act comprehensively organizes the matters related to revitalization and allows revitalization to be introduced into the Polish legal order and to be considered an important element of local development process.
According to the website of the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, revitalization is a comprehensive process that involves bringing degraded areas out of the critical condition through comprehensive actions (interconnected projects covering social and economic, or spatial and functional, or technical or environmental matters), integrating intervention for the benefit of the local community, local space and local economy, territorially concentrated and conducted in a planned and integrated way through revitalization programmes. Only at the end of the 20th century the term was extended - at present, revitalization projects are understood as activities protecting cultural values and monuments as well as activities leading to the improvement of the quality of life of the inhabitants of the revitalized area, including the fight against social exclusion.
WHAT DOES REVITALIZATION OF HISTORICAL MONUMENTS INVOLVE?
The essence of historic buildings is connected with their history and construction, which often survived many hundreds of years. That is why, the original elements must be left intact during construction works. In the event of totally damaged houses, tenement houses or manor houses, efforts are also made to rebuild them using materials that were used when constructing the the building.
However, the fact that building standards from several hundred years ago are far from today's requirements is a problem. In the past, it was also not possible to make electrical installation or tight window joinery. To adapt the building to the new use, it is necessary to modernize it.
HOW SHOULD THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES BE IMPLEMENTED INTO HISTORICAL BUILDINGS?
If a historical tenement house with wooden, old windows is to continue to be used as a residential building, it will be necessary to increase its insulation. That is why, it is possible to replace old windows with new ones. During modernization, the designer must consider how to least affect the appearance of the building to preserve its historical and cultural aesthetics.
In reality, to preserve the previous character of the building, most often wooden windows are used, however in the event of steel windows, it is worth to analyse the advantages of replacing them with aluminium windows. It is possible to install windows whose aesthetics refer to steel windows from the given epoch - here, Yawal offers the TM62 HI, TM74 HI and TM77 HI Industrial systems. These systems are a modern solution whose shape imitates steel windows. They are a perfect substitution of old steel windows in modernised industrial facilities, lofts and tenement houses. They allow for maintaining the industrial character of the building while meeting the requirements of modern architecture at the same time. The base of the system are aluminium sections with a thermal separators and infills with high thermal insulation properties. They have excellent values of the heat transfer coefficient, an effective water drainage system, give the possibility of creating modern window structures in various arrangements and can be combined with other Yawal systems. Additionally, the width of the frame from the outside is small, which ensures an aesthetic appearance. These systems can also be combined with the FA 50N SL and FA 50N HI façade systems. The latter one offers a wide range of decorative clips whose shape fits into the industrial aesthetics, allowing for the most faithful reflection of the spirit and appearance of historical buildings.
YAWAL engineers can also prepare an individual design of aluminium windows. This way, they will adapt a modern window system to the needs of the historical monument. Next, according to the the document developed and approved by the art conservator, they will manufacture new joinery and install it in the tenement house. This is a way to reconcile the new functionality of the buildings and preserve as much of its historic appearance as possible.
Examples of projects made on Yawal systems are, among others; Grohman's factory or the Monopolis building - the Łódź complex of buildings was the winner of the unique MIPIM Awards 2020 and the Prime Property Prize 2020 in the category "architecture".
The main goal of the architects working on the project was to give MONOPOLIS a new functionality while maintaining the unique style of the entire complex. That is why, they decided to revitalize the historical buildings while maintaining their current shape, and to enrich the entire investment with two buildings in a modern style.
WHAT CAN MODERNISATION WORKS COVER?
Building modernisation is often limited to the installation of new and required systems. An example is the YAWAL TM 102HI or TM 77HI anti-theft window and door system. They increase the level of safety of residents to today's standards. That is why, the art conservator responsible for the modernization of a tenement house or other historical monument will be willing to agree to such changes.
CHANGING THE FUNCTIONALITY OF A HISTORICAL BUILDING
Building revitalization usually involves giving it a new function. An old manor house or other large building can be used as a school or an office. It is often that unique structures are simply turned into museums. However, each such change requires building modernization and ensuring appropriate standards compliant with applicable provisions of law. How should new technologies be implemented to preserve the cultural and historical aesthetics of the building at the same time? The best architects with many years of experience work to ensure this.
