The closing session of DOCOMOMO 2016 edition, focused on the theme Adaptive Reuse -The Modern Movement Towards the Future, took place at Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Grand Auditorium).

Architect Adam Caruso, from Caruso St John Architects, gave a lecture titled “Old/New” showing the wide range of work carried out at the architecture firm in the field of architectonic rehabilitation. Under the theme of this year’s conference “Adaptive Reuse”, the work developed by Caruso St John Architects was key to discuss the adaptive reuse in contemporary architecture.

The architect talked about the historical evolution of rehabilitation/maintenance of existing buildings, noting that “rehabilitation and conservation of buildings should be done respecting the existent, but should be always different”.

The closing session was attended by professor Arlindo Oliveira, President of Técnico and Dr. Luis Filipe Castro Mendes, Minister for Culture, who considered the theme of this year’s conference “a programme, a criticism and a huge challenge”. At the end of his speech, the Minister said that “DOCOMOMO’s continuous work should be applauded” and that “it’s a great honour that Portugal has been chosen to host DOCOMOMO International Conference and to be the headquarters of DOCOMOMO International”.