This diploma challenges the apparent obsolescence of the now-demolished 23 years old Europa-Pavillon in Vienna and proposes an alternative to total demolition by combining adaptive reuse and material reuse.
It is necessary to consider what happens to a material or component when it leaves the building and what happens to the building when the material leaves. Materials and components that are hard to dismantle, reuse or recycle should rather stay in the building and the design will work with them. This approach results in approximately 80% of the building remaining on site.
The construction industry is responsible for a third of the world’s waste. If the same old practices towards existing buildings prevail, the quantity of generated waste is destined to grow. A fundamental shift in our approach towards the existing building stock is urgent.
