Industrial development is driven by advances in technology, economic and industrial restructuring, and political or event-driven developments. Consequently, many cities are facing industrial restructuring, making industrial heritage buildings on the site an important resource for urban regeneration. The conservation of industrial heritage can provide an inheritance in terms of industrial history and culture, and help to meet the contemporary needs of the public. The issue of adaptive reuse of industrial heritage has received worldwide attention since the Nizhny Tagil Charter in 2003. However, many reused projects have lost their vitality and even closed. The transformation of most industrial heritage is currently based on preservation. The aim is to preserve the original cultural evidence, which means that these buildings have not been overly modified. However, this approach may result in some projects losing their attractiveness and comfort in the modern age. This research paper will explore how to address the conflict between public needs and the protective transformation of industrial heritage. The article proposes a new concept of 'material industrial elements' to clarify the material carrier of industrial culture in a building's details. This concept serves as a bridge between cultural heritage and the needs of the public. The design system was summarised based on psychological theories and on-site interviews to obtain public needs data. Classic industrial heritage reuse cases were considered in accordance with the public needs framework. The results indicate a design approach for industrial heritage revitalisation that is based on public needs. This provides a foundation for designing similar urban regeneration projects in the future.

Reuse of industrial heritage,Public needs,Protective transformation,Material industrial elements,Urban regeneration