Abandoned industrial spaces : the place of adaptive reuse in revitalising a rural community in Tokomaru Bay, New Zealand
Date
2018Citation:
Pavlenko, O. (2018). Abandoned industrial spaces: The place of adaptive reuse in revitalising a rural community in Tokomaru Bay, New Zealand. An unpublished research project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture (Professional), Unitec Institute of Technology, New Zealand.Permanent link to Research Bank record:
https://hdl.handle.net/10652/4327Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION:
How could Tokomaru Bay in the northern Gisborne region be given a second life by the adaptive reuse of the abandoned meat freezing works facility?
Industrialization in New Zealand can significantly affect rural areas, especially if a major production facility provides the main source of income. At the community level, it brings either prosperity while it operates, or devastation when it closes down. Eventually, the original industrial programme of a facility will be no longer viable as the business has moved elsewhere, leaving the imprints of abandoned factories as a long-term reminder of the industrial past. Eventually they become neglected architectural sites.
The history of Tokomaru Bay, a coastal town in the Gisborne District of New Zealand is evidence of how the rise and fall of an industry can affect an entire community. The facility, in the Tokomaru township of Waimā, has been abandoned for over 66 years and its closure resulted in a population decrease from over 1200 to approximately 390 residents, according to the 2013 census. The current freezing works complex is comprised of buildings in various stages of decay; however the sturdier ones are still intact with minor disruption, while others have grass growing wild among ruined walls.
By asking how an isolated rural area can re-establish the livelihood of a community after the loss of the key local industry, this research examines the possibilities for the adaptive reuse of a dilapidated industrial site in Waimā, Tokomaru Bay. The proposed new use is backed up by relevant literature and precedent reviews and is drawn from the major historic events that took place in the area, as well as from the rich cultural background. The design seeks to revitalise the community and grow its prosperity; therefore the result of this architectural analysis is a design for a museum and a crafts centre at the site of the former freezing works.