A disused power station is converted into a cultural centre, an old barn is made into a residential house. All around us we encounter buildings whose original purpose has rendered them obsolete, and which now offer space for new uses. Creative ideas give rise to inspiring projects which demand unconventional concepts and a sensitive approach to the existing buildings. The construction and building requirements confronting the architect are as varied and individual as the buildings themselves. This publication examines a wide range of realized examples, highlighting successful and innovative solutions, from the rehabilitation of preserved monuments to the renovation or renewal of existing buildings, from the reuse of a gothic monastery or the former industrial buildings of Fiat Lingotto to the renovation of structures made of precast concrete panels. Introductory essays by specialist authors examine the economical, technical, historical aspects of the topic, and the projects presented are documented fully with illustrations, plans and details which have been specially produced by the editorial department of DETAIL.