What to do with (European) crumpling churches

Source: Albuquerque Journal, 12.04.08, page B3

In my hometown, this 13th century church (owned previously by the Evangelical Church) ...



... became a 'music and culture event house'.

In the Netherlands, I've seen the main churchers of some towns ['Grote Kerk] being changed e.g. to a store (here: Hoorn, on the Jisselmeer)

And then there's the terrific bookstore in a 13th century Dominican church in Maastricht -

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/architecture/story/0,,2271875,00.html

an idea which appeals to me a lot.

In Britain, quite a couple of former churches are restaurants/bars now ...


(Northhampton)


(Glasgow)

I don't mind sacrifying some churches on the altar of gastronomy..

Back in the seventies in Venice, California, one of the local artists and her psychiatrist husband bought a local church and renovated it as studiolliving quarters, doing quite a nice job of the renovation. It wasn't a church building of the age and stature of the others being shown here in Europe, but it had some architectural presence. I don't suppose they are still there, but the building still is.

I can't imagine Americans going for such an idea as making a former Church building into a restaurant. The Church is the spirit that arises in congregation, but Americans think that it is the building. I love the idea of the bookstore inside of a former Church building, but sadly books are increasingly looking obsolete as well.

I think it's been done in the US, Hawkeye, but maybe it's my skewed memory of a place. I'll see if I can find an example.

On a quick look, here are a couple of efforts...


http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/maine/articles/2007/09/12/meetinghouse_restaurant_is_out_of_the_way_but_out_of_this_world/


http://www.yelp.com/biz/church-brew-works-and-restaurant-pittsburgh

Interesting....thanks.

If I ever get back to Europe, that Maastricht bookstore is on my route.

in canada many old country churches ( they are often located outside villages - just somewhere on a country side road ) can now puchased to be used as country houses , workshop - what have you ).
similarly , many of the old village schools have now been closed and are sold to anyone to be used as desired .
with the move to consolidated schools , there are now many of these buildings on the market .
locally , the masons sold their masonic temple and it has been turned into a theatre .
hbg

old "clap board" country church



kingston's former MASONIC TEMPLE - built in 1864 as a congregational church

The Medieval town of Barga in Tuscany has a church at its highest point. When we visited in 1999 it had bolts keeping a large crack in the wall from expanding. Some structural damage had been done by a recent earthquake, if I remember correctly.

"Osso's Maastricht church" (now Selexyz Dominicanen, formerly the old Dominican Church) has been until 2006 (when it became that bookshop) a parking garage for bicycles




[Construction of the church of the Dominicans was started in 1267, and it was finished about 1280.]

quite a few of toronto's old churches have been converted into (rather expensive !!!) "lofts" .

the former VICTORIA CHURCH

"crumpling" or "crumbling" ?

Somewhere in Italy we visited a bunch of artisans inhabiting a not-so-crumbling castle. It was great to see, after visiting all the derelict castles in the UK.

I could imagine that there's a tiny difference between the original purpose of a castle and that of a church :wink:

(On the other hand I'm sure that you'll find as many Italian castelli whereconservazione e restauro should be done as there are derelicted castles on the British Isles.)

this former church in toronto is for sale at $2,480,000 - a real bargain in toronto's hot real state market




find details here :
TORONTO CHURCH FOR SALE

Although it has been closed for a couple of years, there is an older church building here in Tulsa that became a fairly well-known recording studio for a number of years. Let me find the dates...

Ah, here it is.

"The Church Studio" was begun by Leon Russell in 1972.

Well, two emotional hits..

in that the photo of Maastricht, dominican church with bicycles makes me cry. So wrong.

I'm no fan of the dominicans over the ages.

But I don't mind books there. Books of all sorts. In fact.... I revel in that.

I wonder, did they leave all this on the periphery?

I can get people who feel violated by all this.

Snort, thinking of my contorted exchanges with sellers in Rome iconic churches... (one thought I was portughese from my dress).. and that was inside the church.



And Barga, I'd love to check out Barga.

I've read about it a few times since hearing about it from littleK.

Oh, and glorious picture.



I'm trying to figure myself out. I don't like seeing churches mocked. Argued with, sure, I'd probably agree with all.

I guess mocking is a fine point for me. Not that anyone on this thread is doing all that. Just thinking while typing.