Grenada has a handful of plantation, church and factory ruins waiting to be reimagined and repurposed.
Despite the intentions of the Willie Redhead Foundation, Grenada National Trust and other parties, the lack of enforcement of various laws that identify and protect built and tangible heritage, as well as the lack of policy and funding, means that old and defunct buildings are destroyed, and the replacements are less than aesthetically pleasing. Frankly, a few of them appear to have been drawn and built by someone with an intense dislike of good taste.
New life is breathed into old spaces. Photo: SLCT
So far, on several field trips in China, I have seen several imaginative repurposing of factories to house high-tech and smart technology innovation businesses. I also visited a village where a group of abandoned houses was repurposed into an eco-lodge, attracting tourists and adding value to the village.
There is a fondness in China for the symmetry and balance of old and new. 751, in Beijing, is a vast estate where once abandoned buildings and tanks of a fuel depot have been repurposed into a hub for art and fashion, accessorised by walkways, columns and pipes. Immovable equipment painted bright colours accent the area. A smart move, leaving the items in situ, reducing the need for dismantling, storage, and dumping. A smarter move is the placing in front of various audiences industrial heritage transformed with creative industries characteristics.
Repurposed fuel tank at 751. Photo: SLCT
The inside of one of the larger tanks is vast enough for exhibitions, runway shows…limitless possibilities. The photos tell a tiny part of the story… an onsite visit walking through history becoming urban rejuvenation is so much better. Nearby is 798, a vast area with a similar industrial history, supporting the contemporary art industry. That’s on my list.
Inside repurposed tank. Photo: SLCT