Revolution Pizza and Ale House in NoDa
Commercial activity that is modestly housed within past architecture. Scattered throughout my neighborhood in Charlotte are remnants of past history in the form of mills, fire stations, and houses that have been given new life in the form of current businesses. These vary in function and include restaurants, cafes, shops, and salons. By being housed in existing structures that have historic value, businesses act as a continuation, almost a tribute, to the architectural history of the city. This is much preferred over a business that sharply stands out in a manner which forces advertisement onto the public. It’s also appropriate in the sense that many of the restaurants and shops are of local origin or house local products.
clockwise from top left: Cottage Chic, Monarch, Coral, Starbucks
I can also appreciate this from the point of view of adaptive reuse. There are indeed several practical economic advantages to adaptive reuse over new construction such as cost, tax incentives for certain historic structures, and time. However, what is more readily apparent is the aesthetic component. There are a variety of approaches that can be used in adaptive reuse that range from almost seamless integration to combining old and new, and sharp contrast. I myself tend to prefer a sharp contrast. I like to see where and how the old meets with the new, and I like for each time period to act as a foil to the other.
Dilworth Court
One place where I have seen this so far is the Re Salon and Med Spa in Dilworth, housed within the previous Fire Station No.2. The salon has a pleasantly light and airy aesthetic to it, being mostly white and neutral on the interior, contrasting with the red brickwork on the exterior. Mosaic tiles surround the mirrors in the styling stations and from oval shaped mirrors, one can see the other ‘mosaic’; that of brickwork exposed on the interior, creating a graceful moment of past reflected in the present.
Re Salon and Med Spa in Dilworth
Having read about previous threats of demolishing the fire station, I was pleasantly surprised that is still stands and stands quite well. Being mindful of its context, the Re Salon and Med Spa, like other businesses, not only help to retain the city’s past, but also celebrate it with new design and function that is mindful of its context.
