Title

Author(s)

Enam Rabbi Adnan

Md. Didarul Islam Bhuiyan

Tazrin Islam

Affiliation

Community College of Philadelphia,

Form.3 architects

The Sheward Partnership

DOI

https://doi.org/10.65686/GUPB8532

Keywords

Adaptive Reuse, Old Dhaka Central Jail, Historic Preservation

PP

794-801

How to Cite

Adnan, Enam Rabbi, Md. Didarul Islam Bhuiyan, Tazrin Islam. “From Confinement to Community Integration Revitalizing the Old Dhaka Central Jail Through Adaptive Reuse.” In Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Reuse. Volume 1, edited by Andrea Crudeli, Francesca Molle, and Emanuele Carrai, 794–801. Firenze: STH Press, 2026.

Abstract

The ‘Conservation of Old Dhaka Central Jail and Development of Surrounding Area’ project started as a national-level design competition in 2017 after the central jail was relocated. Situated in the heart of the densest part of Old Dhaka, the adaptive reuse of this jail area presents a unique opportunity to integrate its layered history into the public realm. The project targeted the creation of urban open spaces dotted with history, recreational and cultural activities through adaptive reuse of historic buildings. This study will outline the innovative design and preservation approaches that respect the site’s pre-colonial, colonial, and the country’s independence movement identities while integrating modern infrastructure and community-centered programming for the surrounding area. The walled jail area, located in one of the densest neighborhoods in the world, has withstood the test of time for more than four hundred years. It was built as a mint, then converted into a fort during the Afghan period, and later transformed into a prison and asylum in the British and Pakistani colonial period. These transformations have bestowed immense historical, political, and socio-economic significance on the site. With the layered history of various times and intense space scarcity, what to preserve became a complex decision. The authors, including principal architect and design team members, explain the challenging task of preserving history, restoring the significant remaining buildings, renovating the damaged structures, and introducing contemporary functions to the existing structures. This paper will examine the innovative adaptive reuse strategies undertaken for the Old Dhaka Central Jail, focusing on a matrix-based methodology to assess, preserve, or reprogram the existing structures within the fortified precinct. Through detailed documentation of the buildings, historical literature analysis, and architectural evaluation, the project team identified which structures retain heritage value and how they can be meaningfully adapted to a new purpose. This case study narrates how adaptive reuse and preservation can honor the past while meeting contemporary social and environmental needs. Future research may explore the long-term socio-economic aspects of the project and examine models for adaptive reuse in similar post-colonial urban contexts.

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.