Transformation of Industrial Heritage: The Case of Volos, Greece. Preserving the value of industrial heritage in historic towns through conservation, regeneration and reuse

Deindustrialisation poses a major challenge for the preservation of heritage in European industrial towns. Volos, an industrial harbour city in central Greece, provides a typical example of this phenomenon. Redundancy and decay of many of the city's 20th century industrial buildings threaten the survival of a significant portion of its heritage. Infusing new life into these buildings requires the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders as well as the development of new management and conservation strategies. The latter remains the subject of lively discussion between scholars and policy makers. In cities like Volos, strategies tailored to the needs of industrial buildings are urgently needed to save this rapidly decaying part of their heritage.

This dissertation begins with a critical analysis of existing methods of preserving historic industrial buildings. This is used as a basis for the development of a novel set of criteria for the selection of new uses for redundant industrial buildings in Volos. In addition, this research re-evaluates the significance of industrial buildings in Volos, aiming to expand the framework of historic industrial preservation practice. It argues that management strategies based on traditional preservation practices are insufficient for interpreting the complexity of these historic places, and that historical industrial reuse is best served by attending to the range of values and processes associated with the historic landscape and its protection.