Thomas Geraedts
Analysis on
Religious Heritage
Preface
Table of Contents
1
–
Introduction
2
–
Religious Heritage
2.1
Significance of heritage
First of all, a definition of the overall term ‘her
–
itage’ will be formed in order to zoom in on re
–
ligious heritage. As Wessel de Jong stated in the
first lecture of Methodologies of Architectural Re
–
use, heritage has the following meaning. Herit
–
age consists of all the qualities, traditions and
features that have been maintained over several
years and is preserved from one generation to
another. Heritage refers especially to objects that
are of historical importance or that have had a
strong influence on society (de Jonge, 2017).
The way I perceive heritage can be formulated in
a broader way. Heritage is all the elements that
surround us. For example tangible heritage: the
landscape, the built environment, but as well the
intangible things. It contains all the matter that
our ancestors left for us.
Heritage is not just old objects left behind, but
everything that was present before. The historical
importance leaves us a certain value. We have to
deal with this value in everything we do.
2.2
Religious heritage
Vacancy is a structural problem in our coun
–
try, and therewithal all over the world. That’s
why adaptive reuse of buildings which have lost
their function is a priority for most governments
(Meurs, 2016). Churches, monasteries, office
buildings, farms, etc. are on that list of adaptive
reuse. As Wessel says in his lecture: “a monas
–
tery every month, a church every week, a farmers
estate every day and office blocks at even higher
rates.” (de Jonge, 2017).
Buildings need to evolve over time in order to
fulfil the contemporary function, which is need
–
ed. This essay is going to take a position into
adaptive reuse of the first two types of heritage,
religious heritage.
2.2.1
Adaptive reuse of religious heritage
Adaptive reuse is about the matters of conserva
–
tion and heritage policies. Throughout the time
the built environment will diminish in use and
function due to faster technical, economical or
political development (Joachim, 2002). The func
–
tion requirement of specific building envelopes
won’t fit the contemporary anymore. Especially
community buildings such as churches have lost
their former function.
Adaptive reuse can be seen as a key factor in land
conservation and to reduce the urban sprawl.
In controversy adaptive reuse can be seen as an
vague boundary between renovation, facadism
and adaptive reuse. There has to be an accord
between historic conservation and demolition.
2.2.2
Precedents of adaptive reuse of religious
heritage
Examples of adaptive reuse of churches will be
discussed, thereby an opinion will be described in
each case of religious adaptive reuse. In the next
paragraph a position will be taken in adaptive re
–
use of religious heritage.
2.2.2.a
Dominican Church Maastricht
A great first example of adaptive church reuse is
the Dominican Church in Maastricht. The church
was built in the 13th century, since the invasion
of Napoleon in 1794 the church lost its function.
It was used as a parish, after that a warehouse,
then as an archive and the last function before
the adaptive reuse was a huge bicycle shed. This
church is finally transformed into a giant book
–
store.
The bookstore consists of a three storey black steel
book framework stretched up to the stone vaults
(see fig. 2.2 – 2.4). At the back of the church vis
–
itors can admire the beautifully renovated ceiling
frescoes originally made in the 14th century.
The new function of this church is a great suc
–
cess. It works perfectly, there is a combination of
bookstore and reading cafe, where customers can
enjoy a cup of coffee and a chat (see fig. 2.5). It
attracts a lot of people all over the world. I think
such a success is a design goal, the church is in
great use again. With a great restoration and con
–
servation of the typical religious elements, plus
relative small interventions this church thrives
again.
2.2.2.b
Holy Trinity German Catholic Church Bos
–
ton
The next example is a more rigorous approach of
redevelopment. The Holy Trinity Church in Bos
–
ton, will be redeveloped to a huge apartment
block. An eight storey glass-and-steel building
surges out the 1877 church’s roof (see fig. 2.6).
The whole interior of the church will be demol
–
ished and transformed into apartments and corre
–
sponding functions. Is this still adaptive reuse?
This example tends towards facadism. The whole
inner structure will be replaced, only the facade
is going to be restored. This was necessary be
–
cause of the economic advantage of more square
metres of apartments.
My opinion on this case of reuse is ambiguous.
The designers (Finegold Alexander Architects)
had the choice to either demolish the church and
build new apartments, or integrate old and new
in a rigorous way (facadism) in order to partly
behold the historical entity of the church. In this
case I would prefer the facadism option, to re
–
develop it to economically profitable apartments
and keep the historic importance.
Fig. 2.3: Dominican Church Maastricht Bookstore (Photo: Perry van
Munster)
Fig. 2.2: Dominican Church Maastricht Bookstore (Photo: Diane
Pham)
Fig. 2.4: Dominican Church Maastricht Bookstore (Photo: Diane
Pham)
Fig. 2.5: Dominican Church Maastricht Coffeelovers (Photo: Coffee
–
lovers)
Fig. 2.6: Holy Trinity German Catholic Church Boston (Rendering:
Finegold Alexander Architects)
2.2.2.c
Milan Church to divine office
Architect Massimiliano Locatelli converted an
16th century church into his own architects office.
A four storey steel structure, built in the rear of
the church, accommodates offices and planning
areas (see fig. 2.7). This intervention doesn’t af
–
fect the original structure in any case. The steel
structure is open at every side, in order to let the
employees and visitors admire the original fres
–
coes at the ceiling and walls on different levels
(see fig. 2.8). The last level consists of meeting
rooms and offices which protrudes over the fornt
part, this results in an intriguing view over the
entire space (see fig. 2.9). In the vaulted crypt are
various functions accompanied such as the kitch
–
en, the model lab and a library.
In relation with the first example, this relative
small intervention gives a great new function to
the before unused religious heritage. The new
structure collaborates with the existing and is
easily distinguishable.
Fig. 2.7: Milan 16th century church transformed to divine office
(Photo: François Halard)
Fig. 2.8: Milan 16th century church transformed to divine office
(Photo: François Halard)
Fig. 2.9: Milan 16th century church transformed to divine office
(Photo: François Halard)
3.1
Understanding analysis
Before the goal and use of analysis will be ex
–
plained, first a definition from Oxford Advanced
American Dictionary: Analysis – noun
1. the detailed study or examination of
something in order to understand more about it;
the result of the study
2. a careful examination of a substance in
order to find out what it consists of
3. psychoanalysis
In order to specify analysis to our domain, the
term architectural analysis will be defined by
utilizing the Masters thesis by Shandiz Shahram.
The first approach can be to peel of a building’s
skin in order to reveal the underlaying ideas. Sec
–
ond to compare and realize relationships in a de
–
sign. Last but not least to copy and paste compo
–
nents to create new links. Architectural analysis
appeared in the period of modern architecture. It
is used by designers as a methodology that pro
–
vides a vision or concept (Shahram, 2014).
Martin Fowler gives us the reason why analysis
is used. It helps understand the conceptual lan
–
guage and the underlaying ideas (Fowler, 1996).
As Marten de Jong says in his lecture, to ana
–
lyze is to understand what is (already) there (de
Jonge, 2017).
In relation with this essay it is important to un
–
derstand what is already there, because heritage
is all about what is present. In order to design
adaptive reuse, I think it is very important to val
–
ue the existing in its historical importance. With
this knowledge and values, the designer is able
to design a coherent, new function of (religious)
heritage.
Thereby analysis is an important aspect for com
–
munication towards a third party, as Fowler told
us before: to understand the conceptual language.
Another point of communication is that analy
–
sis gives the designer comprehensible starting
points, that evolves into a clear concept.
3
–
Analysis
STOCKROOM
MORGUE
COMBUSTIBLE
STORAGE
WARDERNS
TOILET
STOCKROOM
STOCKROOM
DUMP
DISINFECTION
CHAMBER
KITCHEN
PROVISIONS
STORAGE
PHYSICIAN
CELLULAR INFIRMARY
COURTYARD
SANITARY
ENTRANCE
PORTAL
DOORMANS
CHAMBER
DOORMANS
CHAMBER
(NIGHT)
REGENTS
CHAMBER
WAITING
ROOM
INTERVIEW
ROOM
EXCISE
AUTHORITIES
DIRECTORS
OFFICE
STAIRWAY
HALLWAY
CELLS
CELLULAR
HIKE
CELLULAR
HIKE
Fig. 3.1: Analysis to former prison functions in order to understand
the building’s structure and circularity (Own work)
4
–
Position
The conclusion of this essay is the position how
I look upon the adaptive reuse of different given
examples of religious heritage and the methodol
–
ogy a designer should use in order to design this
reuse of heritage in a proper way.
