The valorization of the industrial heritage: reuse projects in the town of Valencia, Spain

This research presents the intervention methodologies applied in the conservation and valorisation of the Industrial Heritage in Valencia. Today these structures full of stratified values, resist in a city that is facing the challenge of contemporary living with ambitious projects and infrastructures. The conversion and reuse of the old factories is aimed at integrating them into an urban fabric with renewed functions; so the redevelopment of industrial places becomes an architectural, political and cultural issue. This study reports on the inspection activities, the cognitive analyses and the identification of best practices in order to enhance a large portion of Valencia's cultural heritage. The research identifies the specific features of a project that cannot be limited to the recovery of the historical structure: the knowledge of elements and systems that interact at different scales (from construction technology to ancient production techniques, tools and artifacts) leads to the identification of interventions which are compatible with all records related to the industrial heritage.