From Threads to Thriving: The Urban Revitalization of the Crescent Jute Mill, Khulna, Bangladesh | Bachelors Design Thesis on Industrial Heritage Regeneration

Site Context

The 113-acre site sits in Khalishpur, the historic “industrial heart” of Khulna, along the banks of the Bhairab River. Developed in the 1950s–60s as a planned industrial township, the mill complex was a self-contained community with workers’ quarters, a school, a mosque, playgrounds, and a club. Following industrial decline and the mill’s closure, around 60% of workers migrated, informal settlements spread across the grounds, and the once-thriving neighborhood fell into economic stagnation—yet the three primary mill structures, with their sawtooth and concrete shell roofs, remain structurally sound and viable for reuse.

The proposed program follows a mixed-use regeneration model organized into three interlinked zones: an Industrial Revival zone, where Mill-1 is retrofitted with a modernized, technology-driven jute production line; a Jute Research and Training Centre in Mill-2, promoting product diversification, skill development, and industry–academia collaboration; and an Exhibition and Public Realm zone toward the riverside, integrating museum spaces, markets, recreation, and an activated waterfront. Supporting functions—housing, retail, administration, and utilities—knit industry, research, and community into a self-sustaining ecosystem.

Design Process

The design process was rooted in a structured, evidence-based methodology to ensure technical and social viability. It began with an extensive Data Collection phase, involving site analysis, community surveys and a study of global industrial heritage cases to derive best practices. This was followed by Data Sorting and Analysis, where tools like SWOT and thematic analysis were used to identify the site’s historical significance, physical conditions and socio-economic challenges.

The Conceptualization phase focused on urban regeneration, determining zoning strategies that balance industrial revival with public needs. Preliminary designs were developed based on the existing structural grid and plot-pattern analysis, followed by an iterative process of refinement. This ensured that interventions were context-sensitive, incorporating feedback and balancing historical preservation with modern functional requirements.

Final Outcome

The final outcome is a comprehensive regeneration masterplan that balances production, research, and public life while preserving the mill’s identity. Mill-1, strategically located at the site’s edge near existing service infrastructure, revives as a modernized jute industry with a clear functional sequence from raw material storage to packing and dispatch. Mill-2, with its expressive concrete shell roof, is adaptively reused as a Jute Research and Training Centre incorporating labs, training services, exhibition spaces, a multipurpose hall, and a canteen.

The previously inaccessible riverside is transformed into an active public realm with walkways, an amphitheatre, fishing and boat clubs, vendor spaces, and green buffers—reconnecting the community to both its river and its heritage. Crucially, approximately 85% of the site remains open space, a deliberate strategy of minimal intervention that preserves ecological character and allows future responsive development.

Conclusion: Ultimately, the design demonstrates that an abandoned industrial site can become a hub of economic opportunity, learning, and cultural continuity—offering a replicable model for the regeneration of post-industrial landscapes across Bangladesh.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]