In the coming decades, a considerable number of sacred buildings in Germany are expected to become vacant. According to current forecasts, both the use and preservation of a third of all churches are uncertain.1 The increase in the number of people leaving the church and the decline in income from church tax also raises the question of whether and how the large churches will be able to afford their building stock in the future. Reports on the profanation and conversion of churches, e.g. as retirement homes, residential buildings or kindergartens, are increasing, but are still isolated cases in relation to the overall stock.
Last year, actori pointed out the need for early and well-founded consideration of the expansion and conversion of sacred spaces. Since then, the topic has been increasingly - but not yet sufficiently - discussed in society, politics and science. These developments and discussions can also be observed beyond Germany's borders: In the Dutch town of Vught, the church De Petrus has been converted into a museum with a library and community centre; in Maastricht, a former Dominican church now houses a bookshop; and in London's St. Thomas Church, a Michelin-starred restaurant. Despite these developments, there is still a lack of broad socio-political discussion and the development of a strategic approach.
In addition to the question of the expansion of use and conversion, transformation processes of churches are also inextricably linked to the question of their spatial function - in a threefold sense: the significance of churches in the urban space, as a community space and as a space of opportunity.
The church as a defining element in the urban space
Churches are not only liturgical places, but also important elements in the urban fabric. Their architecture shapes both the cityscape and the urban space and often represents a central point of reference in the urban context - whether through their solitary position in the centre or as a flanking element of a public space. Churches often provide identity and orientation in the urban space. The conversion of church buildings must therefore inevitably be considered from an urban planning perspective. In transformation processes, it is important to analyse how a change in the function of the interior affects the perception and use of the urban space and to what extent new uses can strengthen or weaken existing spatial qualities.
The church as a community space with dual connotations
The increasing vacancy of many churches is in tension with a social need for places of social exchange, community and cultural identification and interaction. And despite declining membership and visitor numbers, churches continue to enjoy a high level of social acceptance and appreciation as places of community - regardless of denomination or religious affiliation. However, when we speak of churches as places of community, we must also speak of the possibility of this community. And so it is important that the process of remodelling church buildings also becomes a space for community, in that the process provides space - in the sense of opportunity - for community participation. An essential component of a sacred transformation process must therefore also be the involvement of the community. Participatory processes can ensure that the needs and wishes of the local population and community are incorporated into the reutilisation process. In this way, the promise of the church as a community space can be realised beyond its sacred use.
The church as a space of opportunity: ‘Fourth places’
Social spaces that lie between the home as the ‘first place’ and the workplace as the ‘second place’ are defined as ‘third places’. ‘Third places’ can therefore be defined as semi-public places between the private and business spheres that open up the possibility for informal encounters and spontaneous dialogue. Churches also offer the opportunity to become so-called ‘fourth places’ - spaces that go beyond the function of a ‘third place’ due to their emotional qualities and their social and cultural identification. This idea underlies, for example, the exhibition ‘Churches as Fourth Places - Perspectives on Change’, which was organised by Baukultur NRW.2 Such a ‘Fourth Place’ has the potential to become the cultural memory of a city and to establish itself as a social and cultural place of identification for a city or a community. It can reflect the needs of the local community without being limited to religious practices.
This apparent discrepancy between the relevance of sacred buildings and the quantitative reality of church members and church attendance is an indicator of the complexity of the transformation processes to which these buildings are currently and will be subjected in the future.
With our many years of experience in the analysis of urban planning contexts and the conversion of existing infrastructures, in the implementation of participation processes and the organisation of communities of responsibility as well as in the examination of the cultural history and cultural spaces of our society, actori can support dioceses, building authorities and local authorities in shaping transformation processes in a structured manner. To name just two examples: In recent years, actori has carried out a feasibility study on the economic operation and reorientation of the Speinshart Monastery International Meeting Centre as well as an organisational study and restructuring of the operating model of the Immanuelskirche event venue.
Sources:
1) ‘Every third church faces an uncertain future’ by Reinhard Bingner, in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of 30 December 2024.
2) The exhibition was on display in the Heilig-Geist-Kirche in Essen from 1 September to 6 October 2024 and will go on tour from spring 2025. https://baukultur.nrw/museum/ausstellungen/kirchen-als-vierte-orte-perspektiven-des-wandels/
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A contribution by Dr. Clara Teresa Pollak, consultant.