25.02.11

Multifunctional churches

What does a church mean for you? A place where you never go? A building which has a beautiful architecture once you are abroad? A part of religious ritual whom you are following on a regular basis?

Recently churches for me mean... discoveries. Over the last years I have noticed how different church buildings there are all over the world! When I think about it, I realise that something like that would not have been possible 200 years ago, but now it seems that everything is possible.

- Church - bookshop: I have seen two - one in Maastricht (the Netherlands) and one somewhere I can't remember... Thought that I have seen one in Toronto (Canada), but it was in an old theatre, not church.
- Church - cinema: Just heard today that in Bordeaux (France) there is a huge cinema with five screens in a church building.
- Church - hotel: Again Maastricht (the Netherlands) wins. I went inside the exclusive hotel and it took some time to notice that it really used to be a church.
- Church - apartment building: I do not know how many such buildings there are, but next to my Mum's previous apartment in London (the United Kingdom) there was a church which became a very exclusive apartment building.
- Church - climbing hall: One in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) for sure!
- Church - nightclub: I am sure that I heard about it, but can't remember where was it...
- Church - restaurant: Quite small, but cute restaurant in Mainz (Germany). I didn't dine there, just went through it.

I bet that there are other ways of using church buildings nowadays as well. What have you noticed?

P.S. I can't find any pictures I have made myself, so again - Google!

1 komentārs:

  1. You shouldn't forget the church in Rotterdam which they transformed to studenthousing. Info can be seen on http://www.dekerk.net/ but it's just in Dutch. The Church is founded in 1882, and it became studenthousing in 1986. 212 students are living there in 110 units.

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