Anna Runske

Scholarship in memory of architect Sven Axel Söderhom

During my time at the Swedish Institute in Rome, I will investigate the concept of ADAPTIVE REUSE – adapting the reuse of cultural-historical buildings as a cultural injection into the urban landscape.

The reuse of historical buildings that have lost their original function is becoming increasingly common in the planning of sustainable communities. This aims to preserve existing buildings while also promoting places culturally and socially.

Italy has a long tradition of adaptive reuse, and there are many examples of buildings being repurposed with a different function, such as Michelangelo’s conversion in the 16th century of the Diocletian Baths from the 4th century into the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, or Carlo Scarpa’s transformation in the 1970s of the Castelvecchio castle in Verona from the 14th century into an art museum.

I am interested in exploring modern examples of preserving older buildings and the significance of adaptive reuse through changes in their structures to introduce new programs and functions. At the same time, it is important to pose the fundamental question of how the past can be integrated into future designs. I would like to investigate examples where the historical values are preserved while the existing building or site gains a new function. How are the identified cultural-historical values, qualities, and historical characteristics utilized to preserve and enhance a sense of place, and how can a new function contribute to revitalizing and strengthening urban environments?

I also want to delve into the Italian architectural historian, restorer, architect, civil engineer, and urban planner Gustavo Giovannoni (1873-1947), who was one of the earliest modern visionaries regarding urban preservation. He proposed a kind of “urban acupuncture” and introduced a set of architectural strategies that enabled a mediation between the historical city and the demands of modern life.

At the beginning of 2024, I completed the post-master’s program NORDMAK, Nordic Master in Architectural Heritage, and in 2022, I also completed the Royal Institute of Art’s advanced course in restoration. Additionally, I work as a practicing architect in Stockholm.