Architecture Day 2024

Are you curious about the innovative ways former church buildings are being repurposed? Join our bus tour to repurposed churches and be surprised by the wonderful transformations.

Bus tour to repurposed church buildings

More and more churches are closing their doors and religious communities are saying goodbye to their familiar houses of worship. These changes are making room for new functions and setting challenges for us to make a space suitable for new life of historic buildings. This fits perfectly to the national theme of Architecture Day: "Making Space". This tour offers a unique perspective at how architecture and creativity come together to breathe new life into old buildings.

Bernardinus Chapel, Heerlen

Our first stop is the Bernardinuskapel in Heerlen. Recently temporarily used as a council room during the renovation of the town hall, this beautiful chapel designed by architect Jos Wielders will now be transformed by SATIJNplus Architects into an inspiring learning space, while retaining its characteristic elements. Discover how this expressionist chapel will be given a new role as a centre for education. Architect-director Harold Janssen and Ton Klein Tuente, real estate and facilities advisor to the SVOPL board, will give a presentation on the redevelopment plans in the chapel.

Paterskerk, Geleen

Thereafter, we travel to Geleen, where the former Paterskerk has undergone an impressive transformation after 25 years of vacancy. Commissioned by VAL Vastgoed BV, architect Patrick Stienen of Wehrung Architects converted this church into a modern medical center. During a guided tour by Patrick Stienen and director Rob Prickartz, you can admire the combination of historic elements and contemporary functions in this unique building.

St.-Kamillus church, Mönchengladbach

At St.-Kamillus Church in Mönchengladbach, we consider the impressive transformation from a house of worship to a serene columbarium. The extraordinary architecture by Dominikus Böhm has been respectfully adapted by bdmp Architekten BDA, so that the church now serves as a resting place for urns. Architect Katja Mehring will further explain this transformation, which retains the spiritual atmosphere and architectural beauty of Böhm's design while harmoniously integrating modern elements. St Kamillus Columbarium is now a unique place of silence and reflection, where past and future come together in an inspiring whole.

Practical Information

During the bus tour you will not only have the chance to visit these extraordinary repurposed buildings, but also to learn more about the creative processes behind these transformations. Each location tells a unique story with respect for the past combined with a vision for the future.

In preparation for our inspiring bus tour to repurposed churches, we offer you the opportunity to further deepen your knowledge with a fascinating lecture on June 14 about the Belgian situation in the field of repurposing. The lecture and excursion will provide a picture of how religious heritage in the Euregion is being given a new purpose in innovative ways. This is all leading up to a larger scale project on this theme that SCHUNCK architecture is working on and that will be launched in 2025. This project promises even more insights and inspiration for everyone interested in architecture, sustainability and heritage conservation.

• Date: June 15, 2024
• Departure time: 9:30 a.m. from the parking lot across from St. Joseph's Church (Dr. Clemens Meulemanstraat 1, Heerlerbaan)
• End time: approx. 5 p.m. (at the same parking lot)
• Cost: €15,-
• A packed lunch is included

ELEMENTS

This activity is part of ELEMENTS. Read more about this collaboration and the program here.