Imaginative reuse of concrete: Material afterlives, sustainability, and urban memory in Ankara’s 100th Anniversary Mall

This study examines the demolition of a 1970s public building on a historically layered site in Ankara and its transformation into an urban park. The structure was fractured for steel recovery, while concrete waste was discarded, eliminating material and architectural traces. This loss reflects a recurring pattern of spatial erasure across the site’s history. The research proposes an alternative approach that reuses the discarded concrete in situ to preserve and reinterpret traces within the new park. The methodology combines historical analysis, documentation of the demolition, and laboratory testing of concrete to assess material performance. Spatial parameters are identified, their reinterpretations are integrated, and their compatibility with current programmatic needs and material capacities is evaluated. The approach is demonstrated through a design proposal that communicates historical transformations, demolition sequence, and material reuse to the public. Findings are distilled into three transferable design questions for historically significant contexts where demolition is unavoidable.