From Silos to Iconic Spaces: 15 Projects That Repurpose Industrial Structures

Silos hold a significant place among the remnants of the industrial era, distinguished by both their technological innovations and their iconic presence in urban landscapes. Typically cylindrical and made of reinforced concrete, these structures effectively addressed the demands and challenges of industrialization, providing a robust and economical solution for storage. However, throughout the 20th century, with the advent of new logistics and the relocation of activities from some urban centers to expanding areas, many of these silos were decommissioned.

However, despite their enclosed design appearing to be an obstacle for new uses, recent decades have seen initiatives that embrace and repurpose these structures. These projects integrate silos into the urban environment, emphasizing their significance as part of the local collective memory.

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From Ricardo Bofill’s transformation of an old cement factory on the outskirts of Barcelona into an office and residence in 1973 to Heatherwick Studio’s creation of the Zeitz MOCAA, the world’s largest contemporary African art museum, in Cape Town in 2017, projects that repurpose silos have gained prominence. These initiatives preserve and adapt industrial structures to new contexts. Moreover, repurposing silos instead of demolishing them is a conscious and significant action for conserving energy and reducing construction waste.

Here are 15 projects successfully tackling the challenge of adapting these unique structures to new functions.

This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: Refurbishment, proudly presented by Sto.

Extending the lifespan of buildings reduces cost and environmental impact, avoiding demolition or more substantial interventions in the future. Sto’s products for facades, facade refurbishment, crack repair, waterproofing, and concrete restoration systems are used on heritage buildings, adaptive reuse projects, renovations and maintenance of new buildings all over the world. Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and architecture projects. We invite you to learn more about our ArchDaily Topics. And, as always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.