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AMAZING SPACE, HOW SWEET THE SOUND

Union Chapel, an architectural treasure that's home to a working church, an award winning venue, a unique organ and The Margins Project for those homeless and in crisis in London

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Repurposed Theatre

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MUSEE D’ORSAY, PARIS, FRANCE

Originally built as one of the first electric railway stations in Paris to shuttle people to Orleans and back the change in train technology meant that the station was left obsolete in 1939. During the following limbo period the building was used for a number of different things including a film set, a mailing office and press conferences for General de Gaulle himself. Then in 1977 on the initiative of Giscard d'Estaing the ex-station was commissioned to be the Musée d'Orsay and now houses the likes of Van Gogh Monet, Matisse and Renoir amongst its former railway arches. The Musée d'Orsay is one of the most iconic examples of adaptive reuse.

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Repurposed Architecture

Rather than hindering creativity, however, recycling old buildings offers architects opportunities to reanimate unique spaces, engage with architectural traditions, and build off the legacies of established sites. Repurposed architecture can play a role in revitalizing communities, as well. Increasingly often, old factories and other industrial structures are becoming the centers of new economies or — ironically — sites of leisure.

Repurposed buildings are not simply reincarnations of their former selves; an arts center does not have the same relationship to a community as a factory. But these projects do not act as replacements or departures from what preceded them, either. When architecture is successfully repurposed, it does not hide its history, but instead becomes a relic, projecting its identity into a new age, and embodying the contradictory qualities of tradition and innovation, of preservation and progress.

Architizer

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THE SAMUEL PETO, FOLKSTONE

Personal Experience of repurposed building...

23 Rendezvous Street, Baptist Galleries, Folkestone, Kent, CT20 1EY

From the outside you simply wouldn't have given a second thought of entering due to its formal, sacred like exterior. However outside linger the locals drinking their beer and smoking cigarettes, you begin to question its true interior and purpose. Walking in through the large doors was like stepping into a church, with the high ceilings, ornate decor and organ but you then double look to see a bar in the heart of the building with a bustling environment of locals and visitors drinking and eating. I t definitely was an experience in itself.

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A BOOKSTORE IN A CATHEDRAL, OH AMSTERDAM

Go inside the Broerenkerk, a famous Gothic cathedral in Zwolle, Amsterdam, and you will be in for a surprise. Alongside the cathedral’s elegant interiors, is a modern-day bookstore called Waanders In de Broeren.

Though one would think that to put in a bookstore, or any other establishment for that matter, inside a 15-th century cathedral would desecrate the place. But in fact, the design of the store was aligned with the church’s original architecture and interiors. Ultrecht-based BK Architecten even had renovations for the church in order to preserve its cultural heritage.

They put most of the bookstore onto the side aisle of the church. It is fenced in by a row of marble columns and shoppers can access the upper three floors of the bookstore via the aisle’s symmetrical center.

So I’m just wondering in the middle of all of this, do they have a copy of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code somewhere in there?

Inigo del Castillo

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The Royal Exchange Grand Cafe, London

This all-day dining and drinking destination is located in a landmark building right in the centre of the City. Royal Exchange Grand Café is set within stylish courtyard surrounded by chic boutiques and is open right through from breakfast until after-dinner drinks.

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TENTOONSTELLING ‘MAROKKO’

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Not Everything Old is Good

Old buildings may be architecture’s comfort food, but even those who truly appreciate these structures seek diversity in their architectural diet. Bricks and mortar are static, but styles change as social attitudes evolve. Change for the sake of fashion without regard to history is not desirable, but a proper balance between preservation and change is desirable—and difficult to find. 

One reason an architectural preservation movement was formed in the United States was as a reaction to a mind-set fully formed during the 1960s: anything old was interpreted as old-fashioned and a stumbling block to progress. Who needs old buildings? The backlash that formed to challenge this attitude swung the pendulum in the opposite direction and ushered in a historic preservation movement that has been responsible for saving many irreplaceable architectural treasures. Some architects fear that the pendulum has swung too far in that direction, facilitating the creation of obstructions to worthwhile development. Too often, these architects claim, the requirement for the preservation of an unworthy building results in an unsatisfactory design compromise or, in the worst case, an abandoned project and an abandoned old building. 

The call to demolish an old building may be justified, however, if the structure no longer serves its intended purpose. Well before the roof, floors, and walls wear out, demands placed on a building by its occupants change. Tenants rotate in and out of office  buildings, successful institutions outgrow their spatial envelopes, and industries vacate fallow space. Once a structure ceases to serve its intended purpose, the owner must weigh a number of complex options. Replace or alter? is the first question, and the architectural merits of the building can frame the argument one way or the other. The structure’s design should be honestly evaluated, free of the emotion that can surround these decisions. Stubborn and unreasonable positions taken by strident preservationists have done as much to undermine legitimate historic preservation as have midnight demolitions of architecturally distinctive buildings. 

Though it is clear that not all old buildings are worth preserving, finding consensus on whether a particular structure should be demolished is rare. If the building possesses architectural qualities most stakeholders agree are worthy of preservation, every effort should be made to save it. Whether an old building is restored following the strictest preservation guidelines or retained as an artistic fragment fused to a new form, the energy expended to build it in the first place has not been squandered. Architectural diversity, a crucial component of a liveable city, is enriched by the resulting mixture of old and new.

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SACRED PLACES

One of the first articles which I read when beginning to discover repurposed churches was one on itsnicethat.com. I was fascinated by the photographers project and this was a large turning point in my project.

https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/alla-afonina-vera-laponkina-sacred-place-photography-220218

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Selexyz Dominicanen Bookshop, Amsterdam

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Buildings Have Finite Useful Lives

Although the patina of time can indeed improve upon the appearance of a stately edifice, the interior workings of a building are often significantly compromised with the passing of time—and were rarely built to meet the demands of today's world. Buildings are not constructed to last forever and must be regularly maintained to survive their useful life expectancy, usually no more than one hundred years. Building systems (structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, security, and communications) eventually become obsolete. Building codes are revised at a pace that typically renders a structure out-of-compliance within a decade. Furthermore, legislated public policy can lead to mandates for difficult and costly physical upgrades to old buildings. 

Many buildings over one hundred years old originally had no electricity, no central heating, and no air-conditioning. Structures surviving today that were built without these amenities have had to be retrofitted with new systems to avoid becoming obsolete, unfit for habitation, or dangerous. The mechanical or electrical retrofit of a large building is a significant undertaking: it is often more economical to replace a building entirely than to make such modifications, especially if the updated design respects the original building fabric. Building fires have brought about significant changes in building codes over the past century. Old buildings typically do not have enough fire exits to comply with current codes and often lack fire sprinklers, one of the most effective flame suppressants. Modern high rise buildings (by code definition, those taller than about six stories) require enclosed, pressurised fire stairs and vestibules that prevent smoke from filling occupied spaces, a fully automated and electronically monitored fire-sprinkler system, an emergency power generator, a fire pump, and an on-site water tank with sufficient capacity to fight a major fire. Most buildings over fifty years old have none of these features. 

Furthermore, one of the most common and charming features of a large, old building is an open, monumental stair, connecting all floors and often times discharging directly into the elevator lobby. Unless mitigated mechanically, this spatial arrangement can lead to a situation where the most recognizable exit is filled with smoke during an emergency. 

Many major cities have enacted high-rise life-safety retrofit ordinances that mandate compliance with most of the current fire code requirements. While most states and many countries have a historic building code that will allow certain exceptions to these code mandates provided the exceptions are deemed not overtly life threatening—the retrofit of an existing structure to meet fire code standards, especially a code-defined high-rise building, is complex and expensive. 

Another significant difficulty presented by old buildings is that they are inefficient consumers of energy. The façades of these structures do include attributes that sustainability advocates would consider good practice, such as operable windows and good solar orientation, which the uniformly articulated and sealed envelopes of many modern buildings do not offer. On balance, however, old buildings do not use energy efficiently. Thermal insulation is usually absent, inefficient single-pane glass is common, and old heating and cooling systems consume much more energy than do modern systems. If adequately maintained, old structures rarely collapse under normal gravity loads not surprisingly, since their structural systems are tested as soon as they are put into service. However, in cases of a hurricane or earthquake, older buildings suffer more than newer ones whose designs are based on a more advanced understanding of these phenomena. Active seismic zones are especially troublesome for old structures, which are at risk of sustaining significant damage or experiencing total failure during an earthquake. 

Social legislation can also profoundly impact buildings. The most significant example is the initiative for worldwide accessibility for persons with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1990, and the architectural consequences of this legislation have been widespread. Whereas new structures can be designed to accommodate the provisions of the ADA, existing buildings often require significant alterations. Often times, a monumental stair at a building's entrance prohibits access right at the front door. Few architectural designs to correct this particular problem have been successful. 

The useful life of an existing building can certainly be extended by addressing the concerns discussed above. After all, a viable design solution to these technical problems can almost always be found. However, the implementation of these solutions can be costly and can easily compromise the architectural integrity of the original design. Since a retrofit generally includes the addition of new visible components, the details of how new meets old are the primary drivers of the success of the overall work. 

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HIDDEN BEAUTY IN STOCKHOLM AND MOSCOS METRO STATIONS

Not all metro trips have to be less-than-pleasant experiences. A station that is literally a masterpiece of art and architecture, for example, might help you enjoy your commute way more. Travel technology company Expedia has collected the top ten most beautiful metro stations in the world, in an effort to decide which one between the Stockholm and Moscow underground would take away the first prize.

The Swedish capital held the first public contest to help decorate its metro stations in 1956, in an effort to make art more accessible to the public and hopefully have it have a good impact on people’s daily lives. On the other hand, Russia built its first underground when it was still the Soviet Union in 1935, and that system has now evolved in the fourth busiest in the world with 188 stops.

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TRÊVESZAAL, VERGADERZAAL VAN DE MINISTERRAAD

When picturing a boardroom you think of simplistic, minimalist, possibly boring and mundane but this architectural beauty eliminates all assumptions. Instantly  when discovering this gem design by the architects Merkx+Girod, I was taken aback by its beauty, its this level of ornateness that captures the eye and what draws the eye to want to republish these beautiful sites

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The Urge to Preserve

By definition, most old buildings truly are irreplaceable; this gives them a special, endangered status in the eyes of many individuals. The desire to save these buildings can be based on rational thinking, emotional dogma, or some combination of the two. The motivation to preserve them can also stem from a personal tie or a fear that a new structure will be inferior to the existing old building. 

Still, others are driven to save old buildings in the interest of preserving meaningful architectural qualities. Handcrafted exterior and interior elements, large operable windows, access to natural light, and high ceilings characterise many old buildings and are less often found in new ones. Retention of these details is almost universally desirable. 

The preservation urge can be roused, however, by issues unrelated to the architectural qualities of a building. For example, as an emotional reaction against modern architecture, some extreme preservationists have taken the stance that an old building should never be replaced with a new one. This dogmatic approach has caused many local jurisdictions to enact strict anti-demolition ordinances that require exhaustive study and review to determine if an existing structure can be razed. A few jurisdictions have gone so far as to declare any building over fifty years old to be de facto historic. Ironically, under these ordinances, buildings based on modernist tenets (a movement that had disdain for historic preservation) become subjects of preservation themselves. 

The desire to preserve is sometimes sparked by a distrust of the quality of today’s construction. Craft plays a role here. Hand-wrought features, which modern, unadorned surfaces can lack, invoke warm, nostalgic feelings. Additionally, some individuals consider work crafted by human hands to be inherently better than the same work fabricated by a machine; this can lead to the false belief that all older buildings are built better than modern ones. While it is likely true that historic structures that are still standing today were built and maintained better than their contemporaries that are no longer standing, advances in construction techniques have, for the most part, led to the creation of more reliable, efficient, and durable buildings. 

Since the preservation movement began in the 1960s, architects have advocated the retention of buildings through restoration, rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse. More recently, however, recycling of entire buildings has become recognised as an important cornerstone of a sustainable approach to urban development. Cities worldwide have adopted policies that encourage or mandate reuse of existing building fabric. 

Unfortunately, preservation concerns have sometimes been used as a means to block new, often times denser, development. In this case, preservation is not linked to the merits of the old structure in place on the site, rather it is employed as a political tool to oppose a project that may have a perceived undesirable consequence, such as increased traffic congestion or blockage of views. 

Given the rational, non rational, and sometimes irrational views on the preservation of old buildings, perhaps it is not surprising that there is rarely consensus about what to preserve and how to do it, especially when the introduction of new architectural elements is necessary. The debate, however, should take into account the myriad technical problems with which old buildings are burdened and should acknowledge that not every building merits preservation.

Charles Bloszies,

Old Buildings, New Designs: Architectural Transformations

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WOONKER XL

CONVERTED OLD CHURCH INTO A BEAUTIFUL MODERN HOME

The Old Catholic St. Jakobuskerk has been transformed into a spacious home. The church stands unobtrusively in a street facade at the Bemuurde Weerd in the Utrecht city center.

https://www.zecc.nl/nl/Projecten/project/23/Woonkerk-XL-Utrecht

Though this saying is trite, it remains ever true: beauty is undeniably in the eye of the beholder. That’s why so many find joy in upcycling and repurposing old, used objects and making them not only fantastically renewed and gorgeous, but also entirely functional.

It is in reconstructing and redesigning certain elements of the original — while simultaneously retaining others — that we can best revive something that has lost its spark.

This is exactly what one architecture firm did. Dutch design company Zecc Architecten focused their efforts on converting entire churches into liveable family homes. There is one such home that is just absolutely stunning — its interior is sleek yet comfortable, and still pays homage to the spatial uniqueness of the original church.

Many houses of worship in The Netherlands, as well as in other countries across Europe, have seen a decline in churchgoers. Hopefully renovations like this one will help people rediscover the awe that beautiful churches can inspire.

Designers at Dutch architecture firm Zecc Architecten have given new meaning to a church that was, until recently, an empty, abandoned space. Renamed “Residential Church XL,” the Catholic St. Jakobus Church was repurposed, refurnished, and transformed into a family residential home. Photographer Frank Hanswijk captured these stunning images of the renovated church.

There are hundreds of empty churches in The Netherlands — more than 1,000 churches have been entirely closed by church communities since 1970. More than a third of those churches have since been entirely demolished and have lost their original functions. Because the costs for conservation are high, most of these churches have been left abandoned.

Luckily, some churches have fallen into the care of talented hands. The creative team at Zecc figured that the only way to save the Gothic-style St. Jakobus Church from destruction was to “recycle” it. Most importantly, they wanted to do this without disturbing too much of the building’s original qualities.

Located in Utrecht City, the church hasn’t seen religious services since 1991. Until 8 years ago, it had been used as a space for antique furniture exhibitions, meetings, and small concerts.

Because of this, a large mezzanine floor had been built inside the church. During the renovation, the architects paid extra attention to reconstruct the floor’s spatial alignment with the windows. This optimized the source of natural lighting in the space. They also made openings in the walls and removed certain portions of the mezzanine floor to allow for perfect lighting. A bathroom, study, and bedrooms are located beneath the mezzanine.

Residential Church XL has become treasured as a notable municipal monument, as it sits right on one of the city’s main canals and is close to many tourist attractions and night-life establishments.