Positive Conservation of an Old Olive Oil Factory in Ayvalik (Turkey) - Adaptive Reuse and Experience Design

Abstract

The Culinary Art Centre project developed in collaboration with students of the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design of Yasar University in Izmir investigates the potentials of the local underused built heritage to be considered for new creative and social programmes as strategic constituent parts of the Experience City and offers to the public audience and local authorities a programmatic action based on the re-habilitation and adaptation of the 1800's dismissed and vacant Olive Oil & Olive Oil Soap Factory located in the central and strategic district of the town of Ayvalik to be converted into an experience-based Culinary Art Centre where local and international visitors experience the research-and-interaction-driven creative process of food art. Aim of the project was clearly defined as the transformation of an industrial heritage building - former place of production into a new place or stage 'for the production and consumption of experience services and goods' [1] - in this case knowledge-based services and the whole spectrum of food production and culinary art - while approaching the design task openly in accordance with the principles notions and concepts of the Experience Economy method as developed and described by Pine & Gilmore within their studies and publications. Experience through Design and Design through Experience. An academic investigation and design response aimed at promoting and experiencing the adaptive reuse approach for the already-built urban environment as precious resource for sustainable urban development actions and targeting at the promotion of culinary culture and gastronomic tourism known as food tourism tasting tourism or culinary tourism. Tangible and intangible heritage positively conserved through adaptive reuse and experience design.