THE ROLE OF SPATIAL MEMORY IN THE REVITALISATION OF HISTORICAL BUILDINGS

Abstract

Historic buildings are not only physical entities, but also living witnesses of the past with the layers of cultural, social and psychological meaning they harbour. These buildings carry a spatial memory that reflects the experiences, beliefs and lifestyles of the people living in them. Spatial memory is the sum of the emotional and semantic ties that individuals and communities establish with places. These ties are formed through the physical characteristics of the space, its use, the events experienced in it and the emotions associated with these events. While spatial memory gives individuals a sense of identity and belonging, it also provides communities with a common past and future. In this direction, spatial memory is a type of memory that is formed through the physical characteristics of a building, its use and the events experienced in it and transferred to future generations.

Historical buildings serve as a bridge between the past and the future thanks to the spatial memory they harbour. These buildings are an important part of our cultural heritage and need to be protected. Today, the preservation of historical buildings and their transfer to future generations is of great importance. In this context, the revitalisation of historical buildings is an important method that ensures both the physical preservation of buildings and the survival of spatial memory. Revitalisation of historical buildings means integrating these buildings into today's life and giving them new functions, thus both protecting the buildings and contributing to the cultural life of the society. In this study, the importance of the traces of spatial memory in historical buildings and the importance of spatial memory in the revitalisation of today's historical buildings are emphasised.