Adaptive Reuse of a Fragmented Post-Industrial Complex: Layered Transformation Strategies in the Çırpıcı Meadow Textile Factory, Istanbul

Abstract

Adaptive reuse research commonly evaluates completed projects, overlooking cases in which the design, program, and/or construction are not yet finished. This article examines the ongoing reuse of the Çırpıcı Meadow Textile Factory in Istanbul to investigate architectural continuity within a fragmented post-industrial complex. This qualitative single-case study combines three semi-structured interviews with the lead architect, two site visits, photographs, drawings, project visualizations, aerial images, and historical sources. Material, spatial, symbolic, and programmatic transformations are the connected analytical lenses. The findings reveal uneven and conflicting forms of continuity. Original reinforced-concrete structures remain in Blocks L, S, B, and C, whereas H and F have been reconstructed and R is under construction as of July 2026. The courtyard and selected footprints sustain spatial relationships despite material loss, while the surviving denim-washing pools and new steel tower provide references to the industrial past. The shift from a culture-oriented campus to municipal offices has altered the subdivision, circulation, servicing, and access control. Because the complex was unoccupied and its public landscape unbuilt, accessibility, adaptability, and symbolic reception could not be evaluated. The study shows that existing conditions, completed interventions, ongoing works, approved proposals, and abandoned concepts must be distinguished when interpreting continuity in unfinished adaptive reuse projects.