Collective memory as a design tool for sense of place in the adaptive reuse of vacant heritage

Abstract

A more inclusive perspective on heritage management regarding sustainable
development becomes an important aspect in understanding and reflecting on heritage buildings or sites. The cultural significance they convey, such as attributes and values attached to them, are not only represented by physical assets, but are also reflected in people’s meanings, experiences, and perceptions that derive from the interaction between an individual or collective and an (urban) artifact. The interest in the notion of sense of place in assessing cultural significance of heritage buildings grows, and participates in the identification of these inherited values and attributes, and gives direction to the reasons underlying heritage conservation. This paper aims to investigate the role of collective memory as a design tool for sense of place in the adaptive reuse of vacant heritage, using the vacant heritage building of the V&D Leiden as a case study. Furthermore, it introduces a method to explore a new type of repository, the social media platform Instagram, in which people’s individual memories are shared and reflect similarities between them. The theory of Montgomery (1998) is used to connect these collective memories to the components of sense of place, defined by form, activity and meaning, in order to acknowledge and show that collective memory can be of great importance in sustaining and creating a sense of place.