The Spatial memory in the transformation of industrial buildings into cultural spaces: CerModern

This study investigates how spatial memory is sustained through interior atmosphere in the process of adaptively reusing industrial buildings as cultural venues. Taking CerModern in Ankara – an architectural transformation of the former Railway Maintenance Workshops into a contemporary exhibition centre – as a case study, the research conceptualises this transformation not merely as a functional change but as a perceptual process in which industrial traces are reinterpreted within current cultural use. Adopting a qualitative and interpretive case study design, the study focuses on how light, colour, materials, and exhibition elements shape the interior atmosphere and support the continuity of spatial memory. The control of natural light, integration of artificial lighting, preservation of the original material and neutral colour palette, and use of temporary exhibition elements were identified as key design strategies for maintaining its industrial identity. Based on these criteria, CerModern was evaluated as a successful adaptive reuse project that accommodates contemporary functions while preserving its original fabric, spatial memory, and holistic atmosphere. Exhibition components are interpreted as flexible instruments that guide visitor flow and generate spatial zoning without creating permanent physical barriers. Overall, the CerModern case demonstrates that an atmosphere produced through the coordinated use of lighting, materials, colour, and exhibition systems can function as a bridge between past and present, helping to render industrial heritage experientially recognisable while adapting it to contemporary cultural programs.