Impact of intermediate and informal adaptations on the reuse of post-industrial sites: from Hasanpaşa Gasworks to Müze Gazhane

Abstract

Once serving as pivotal urban epicenters, due to de-industrialization, many industrial sites have become obsolete. These post-industrial sites constitute both a challenge and an opportunity for the urban landscapes. Within this context, the notion of industrial heritage emerged, leading to research and applications focusing on reintegrating these structures and sites. One of the practices of these efforts is adaptive reuse, a strategy for utilizing existing structures for contemporary purposes. To contribute to the literature on adaptive reuse, this thesis investigates the informal and intermediate utilization of post-industrial sites, focusing the case of adaptive reuse of İstanbul’s Hasanpaşa Gasworks (1891-1993) as Müze Gazhane (2021-). Considering both the processes and the results of adaptive reuse practices, the study highlights the significance of informal and intermediate utilizations. In the study, informal and intermediate utilizations guided by diverse stakeholders such as artists, NGOs, and communities are handled as practical aspects of the complex means to realize the reintegration of abandoned post-industrial sites. Building upon the data collected through archival research, surveys, and on-site observations on Müze Gazhane, the thesis argues that diversified reintegration efforts have the potential to enable the revival of post-industrial sites as significant public spaces and dynamic epicenters.