REVIVING A CINEMATIC MEMORY The Restoration and Adaptive reuse of Lakshmi Building.

Architectural heritage is a vital component in preserving the identity of a place. It is an essential element in shaping rituals and cultures through its manifestation over time. Heritage and culture are embedded in the memories of the people and associations are developed by its presence accordingly. Once the program and use of the heritage are obsolete, conserving and using existing historical buildings by reconfiguring its use is predominantly a necessity. This thesis is based on building a narrative on the memory of the forgotten cinema culture on Abbot Road in the city of Lahore. Due to the uncertain difficulties faced by Pakistan’s film industry, its golden era and downfall directly reflected on the cinema culture and its industry. The analysis is derived to develop a strategy to revive the existing cinemas on-site as the film industry is reviving at a steady growth. Along with preserving the memory of the golden era by manifesting the cinema culture of the past into a proposed museum of cinema, behind the façade of the historical significant Lakshmi building. This is further intended towards documenting, preserving, what is left of the built heritage, by using the adaptive reuse as a strategy to bring the building to its former glory.