[Ulpia-Serdica]

A great deal of communities in Europe and North-America are moving to a post-Christian era and churches are losing their followers and ultimately their raison d'être.

The bigger ones are kept into museum type buildings, maintained by the state, but what to do with the smaller ones that often do not have the same historical importance, yet are still architecturally interesting and worth preserving.

Although I consider myself an atheist, I do enjoy the architectural beauty of churches and do not want to see them destroyed but rather adapted to the modern world.

There have recently been some beautiful conversion of churches into residential quarters. Let us share some of them.

 

[Ulpia-Serdica]

Utrecht-based studio Zecc Architects has converted a catholic church built in 1870 into a spacious house.

Located in Utrecht in The Netherlands, the 5,112 square foot church features an open contemporary interior design.

MORE PICTURES: http://www.homedsgn.com/2011/05/30/residential-church-xl-by-zecc-architects/

 

[Ulpia-Serdica]

Bonney Avenue Residence from an 1867 building, by Willis Greenhalgh Architects, Brisbane, Australia

http://io9.com/beautiful-churches-that-have-been-converted-into-secula-583156045

 

[Ulpia-Serdica]

A Gothic church built in 1909, overlooking Mission Dolores Park, San Francisco, California

http://io9.com/beautiful-churches-that-have-been-converted-into-secula-583156045

 

[Ulpia-Serdica]

Conversion of the late 18th century St. Nicholas Georgian Church, by Kyloe, Northumberland, England

http://io9.com/beautiful-churches-that-have-been-converted-into-secula-583156045

 

[Ulpia-Serdica]

The Abbey Church Lofts with a four-level penthouse in the bell tower, converted from the Howard Park Methodist Church, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2008

http://io9.com/beautiful-churches-that-have-been-converted-into-secula-583156045

 

[Ulpia-Serdica]

Victoria Lofts, converted from the turn-of-the-century West Toronto Presbyterian Church, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

http://io9.com/beautiful-churches-that-have-been-converted-into-secula-583156045

 

[Ulpia-Serdica]

The St. Saviours, now a luxurious home with gold leaf hot tub, platinum leaf ceiling and a cinema room, Knightsbridge, London, 2004

http://io9.com/beautiful-churches-that-have-been-converted-into-secula-583156045

 

[Ulpia-Serdica]

The Victorian Westbourne Grove Church, built in 1953 London

http://io9.com/beautiful-churches-that-have-been-converted-into-secula-583156045

 

[Ulpia-Serdica]

A 19th century chapel with the original pipe organ a pulpit, Bedfordshire, UK

http://io9.com/beautiful-churches-that-have-been-converted-into-secula-583156045

 

[Ulpia-Serdica]

John Knox Church / Williams Boag Architects
Location: Brighton, Victoria, Australia

http://www.archdaily.com/130106/john-knox-church-williams-boag-architects/

 

[ThatOneGuy]

Very nice! I hate what churches represent, but they are almost always wonderfully designed. I hope this will become more popular as atheism continues to rise. They can also turn into art galleries, museums, and other exhibition halls.

 

[Yuri S Andrade]

Very depressing thread. Society is completely giving up its cultural, spiritual heritage (which allowed it to build such beautiful structures) to replace it with nothing, but consumerism and obsessive self-promotion on social networks. The future of this civilisation is not promising.

 

[ThatOneGuy]

Spirituality is a scam that holds no more weight in the modern world. Religion teaches us to be closed-minded towards others, and to obey an invisible dictator mindlessly and relentlessly. Those who don't are tortured until the end of time. Do we want this in today's society? And we don't need religion to be good to others - we can do that ourselves.

If more churches are converted into residential areas, we will not only have strong, spacious, beautiful houses, but it will provide a lot more people with homes instead of wasting all that space on religious hot air. If they're converted into art and science halls, people can learn much more about the real world instead of the fake world religion sells. We can keep some churches original as a museum - just like all the relic churches of the Ancient Greek religion of which Christianity will suffer the same fate.

 

[Ulpia-Serdica]

Glenlyon , Scotland. Multiplicity design studio was responsible for the transformation of a small church to a house room for a family of 4 .

http://besthomedesign.org/transforming-spaces-church-conversion.html

 

[Ulpia-Serdica]

Despite a real estate slump, the sale of deconsecrated churches is booming in Italy, and some are being turned into original homes.

 

[Ulpia-Serdica]

The First Church of Christ Scientist, which was built in 1917, has been converted into a luxury townhouse building, aptly named The Sanctuary.

Located in Seattle's Capitol Hill, the church-turned-luxury residence has been landmarked by the city, which ensures that -- unlike other abandoned places of worship -- it cannot be torn down.

http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2012...rsion-will-make-you-a-believer/#!slide=869950

 

[Ulpia-Serdica]

Some general overview of churches. One of the most important points when converting a church into a residential building is to obvious maintain as much of the original architectural details, but also making sure to keep the space within the structure that clearly gives its architectural charm.

http://www.domienova.com/blog/artic...eople-converted-churches-into-beautiful-homes

 

[Yuri S Andrade]

Spirituality is a scam that holds no more weight in the modern world.

(...)

Hatred as I would expect. No wonder so many people died in French, Russian and Spanish revolutions. Given the right conditions, it would happen all over again. It's much intolerance, hatred.

 

[Ulpia-Serdica]