Title

Author(s)

Syed Hamid Akbar

Affiliation

Hasselt University

DOI

https://doi.org/10.65686/YQWR7117

Keywords

Adaptive Reuse, Colonial Heritage, Karachi

PP

40-46

How to Cite

Akbar, Syed Hamid. “Reactivating Colonial Heritage Adaptive Reuse as a Tool for Urban Regeneration in Karachi.” In Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Reuse. Volume 1, edited by Andrea Crudeli, Francesca Molle, and Emanuele Carrai, 40–46. Firenze: STH Press, 2026.

Abstract

Karachi’s Saddar Bazaar Quarter (SBQ) is one of South Asia’s most prominent ensembles of British-era architecture. Planned in the nineteenth century as a civic and commercial hub, it includes churches, arcades, civic halls, and residences that once gave Karachi its reputation as the “Star of the East.” Despite legal protection under the Sindh Cultural Heritage Act of 1994, many of these structures face neglect, insensitive alterations, and underuse today. Existing conservation frameworks privilege material fabric while overlooking the intangible associations and everyday adaptations that continue to animate the quarter. Based on doctoral research, this paper examines adaptive reuse as a strategy for reconnecting colonial heritage with contemporary urban life. Using a mixed-method approach, the study reassesses the condition and value of SBQ’s protected buildings. Resurveys reveal a significant decline, particularly in commercial and residential typologies. Yet, fieldwork also documents informal adaptive reuse, including incremental repairs, continued inhabitation, and locally driven alterations, which sustain the quarter’s genius loci and reinforce its character as an urban palimpsest. Building on international frameworks such as the Nara Document on Authenticity (1994), the Quebec Declaration (2008), and UNESCO’s Historic Urban Landscape (2011), the research introduces expanded assessment criteria that incorporate social, cultural, and economic dimensions alongside architectural form. This reframing highlights buildings of modest design but substantial community value as vital urban assets, while exposing the limitations of fabric-focused approaches. Instead of static preservation, the paper advocates a flexible, value-based, and inclusive approach. By aligning conservation policies with local practices and design innovation, adaptive reuse can transform colonial heritage from underutilised relics into active contributors to cultural continuity, resilience, and sustainable regeneration in postcolonial cities.

Edited by
Andrea Crudeli
Francesca Molle
Emanuele Carrai

Publisher
STH Press, Firenze

ISBN Paperback – 9791281661141
ISBN Ebook – 9791281661158
DOI – https://doi.org/10.65686/SISY7263

Year
2026

Proceedings of
International Conference on Adaptive Reuse
hosted by The University of Pisa, Italy
15-19 September 2025, at the Gispoteca di Arte Antica dell’Università di Pisa.