Over the past few decades, the adaptive reuse of buildings-transforming them to meet new functional and aesthetic needs and requirements-has become a highly specialized domain within architectural and conservation practice, and is becoming a field of scholarly study in its own right. However, in juxtaposition with this highly specialized practice, people reuse and adapt all sorts of buildings in spontaneous and informal ways in a process we call "vernacular adaptation." This paper investigates such vernacular adaptation of built heritage, along with its specific characteristics, opportunities, and threats as well as its influence on more formal adaptive reuse practice. As methodology, we examine relevant literature to review historical and contemporary examples of vernacular adaptation and reuse. In conclusion, we present the vernacular approach as a valuable alternative to the "formal" or specialized, top-down method to managing existing built environment, especially for buildings and sites that possess compelling social value. Moreover, our study indicates that in practice, the division between the vernacular and the formal is not rigid, elaborating on the possibilities and risks of joined initiatives between local communities and private or public developers.

The article examines the role of the adaptive reuse of architectural heritage in urban identity reconstruction and strengthening undertaken after the disaster caused by a strong economic and social crisis. The main research material included activities and projects implemented in post-communist Łódź, one of the largest Polish cities. The city developed extremely dynamically at the beginning of the 19th century as a centre of textile industry. Characteristic factories located in the city centre operated continuously until the end of the 1980s, when the transformation brought about radical political changes, as a result of which Łódź experienced a rapid process of deindustrialisation. The nineteenth-century architectural heritage played an important role in the search for ways to regenerate the city and redefine its identity. Starting from the local, i.e., historical, social or identity contexts, we are led to universal conclusions, concerning important problems, issues and challenges related to the confrontation of architectural heritage with contemporary needs and expectations.

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The book “African Art. African Tradition – African Modernity” contains several texts about modern and traditional art from the African continent. The majority of these texts were presented during International Conference “AFRICAN TRADITION – AFRICAN MODERNITY” which was the first scientific event of this kind organized at the University of Łódź. This conference was attended by a great many Scholars from Poland and abroad who wanted to share their experiences and reflections, based on their research regarding African Art. The Editors of this book truly hope that this publication will initiate an entirely new approach of looking at and treating of African Art – it’s various problems, challenges and threats.