Maintaining the ambiance of regenerated postmilitary complexes − current and emerging possibilities

Department of History of Architecture Arts and Technology, Faculty of Architecture, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland

^* Corresponding author: marta.rudnicka@pwr.edu.pl

Abstract

Ambiance provides scholarly value to historic architectural precincts and complexes. Through it, the built environment − a corpus of buildings − becomes an environment with its own unique narrative. It grants us the possibility of interacting with the atmosphere of the place as it was in the epoch. However, due to the nature of modern development, living historic cities are changing dynamically. To stay in use, and thus continue their scholastic mission, historic urban areas need to be integrated into local development through either within-use adaptation or conversion to new functions. For historic barrack complexes, this usually means extensive redevelopment. The difficulty comes from accommodating quotidian use while maintaining its historiographic values, especially with historically sensitive sites. This means the designers should take the legibility of the original complex into consideration in their designs and provide suitable aids to visitors. As it turns out there is not a universal approach, instead different approaches allow preservation of various degrees of the original ambiance.