Six adaptive reuse projects celebrated in AR's 2023 New into Old Awards

The Architectural Review has honored six adaptive reuse projects at their AR New into Old Awards 2023. Launched in 2017, the awards “celebrate the creative ways buildings are adapted and remodeled to welcome new contemporary uses.”

The six finalists were chosen from a shortlist of 15, with the jury panel looking for projects that were “both intelligent and transformative,” and ideas that the panel “had not come across before in renovated and repurposed buildings.” Judges also sought schemes that “opened themselves up to the public as a result of their transformation” and were “mindful of the social and ecological contexts of their respective sites.”

The overall winner of the 2023 series was Site Verrier designed by SO-IL and Freaks Architecture. The museum complex, located in Meisenthal, France, was described by judge Mohamadreza Ghodousi of ZAV Architects as “A joyful urban superimposition that invades the courtyard.” Fellow judge Sandro Valentino of Valentino Architects described the scheme as “A beautifully executed building which celebrates the town’s history and attempts to reinvent the courtyard as a connecting agent between the building and the town.”

Meanwhile, judge Lu Wenyu of Amateur Architecture Studio said: “By successfully bridging the gap between past and present, the architect has demonstrated their profound understanding of the intrinsic value of architectural heritage. This remarkable endeavor serves as an inspiration, illustrating how a visionary design approach can breathe new life into historical sites while preserving their authenticity.”

Below, we have listed the six finalists celebrated as part of the 2023 awards. 

• Overall winner: Site Verrier (Meisenthal, France) by SO-IL and Freaks Architecture (pictured above)

• Highly commended: Rieckshof (Uckermark, Germany) by Helga Blocksdorf Architektur