The first part of the article on the "conversion" of Dutch churches can be found here.
Project: Waanders In de Broeren bookstore
Location: Zwolle
Workshop: BK. Architecten www.bkpunt.nl
Photo: Hans Westerink
Another book supermarket is located in the renovated church building of the Dominican monastery. A historical monument of the 15th century, protected by the state, was adapted for the store, so all modern structures in the interior are designed so that they can be easily dismantled.
The main part of the 700 m2 of retail space is located in the side nave. The three levels, filled with bookcases, are connected by a two-part staircase that rises parallel to the tall 11-meter cabinets. Traveling along the shelves and climbing the steps, visitors end up under the very arches, where they can get a close look at their structure and decor.
The central part of the church - with an 1821 organ on the east wall and a stained glass window designed by the Norwegian artist Kjell Nupen from the west - constitutes a single open space. The place of the old church choir is occupied by a gastronomic cafe that has become popular among the townspeople.
To match the tone of the historic décor, the architects opted for a discreet color palette, opting for just three shades of wood and white stucco. This monochrome also pursues commercial interest - against a neutral background, bright book and magazine covers look more attractive.
Project: entrance area of the Stedelejk Museum in Schiedam
Location: Schidam
Workshop: MVRDV
www.mvrdv.nl
Photo: Scagliola / Brakkee
In the Dutch Schiedam, a classicist church was converted into the lobby of the Stedelejk Museum. The main museum building was built by the architect Jan Giudici in 1787 as a shelter for the elderly. A small church with a pediment and massive stone supports connected the two wings of a symmetrical U-shaped composition. Now, the historical walls contain places and spaces that are important for the museum: an administration desk, a cloakroom, a shop, a cafe, trade and exhibition windows.
Inside, the walls are clad in red panels and encircled by rows of similarly colored shelves - in different sizes and configurations. The rich color was chosen as a tribute to the sacred past of the building, at the same time as a decorative time marker: it marks what belongs to the modern part of the interior, and all authentic details and elements - windows, openings, the pulpit, columns - are left in their original form. They organically exist inside the bright plastic scenery, submitting to the new drama of space and as if waiting for a new development of the plot. The upper part of the walls along the bypass gallery is lined with acoustic panels with horizontal light accents. In order to avoid possible problems with increased humidity, the back walls of the panels have a special perforation.
The main space remains solid and open, which allows you to quickly organize mobile venues here for various events: concerts, presentations, conferences and lectures. The museum is becoming a dynamic part of modern life, leaving in the past the role of an architectural monument.
Project: House Chapel of Living
Location: Utrecht
Workshop: Zecc Architects
www.zecc.nl
Photo: Cornbread Works
The altar wall of the old Catholic chapel in Utrecht was cut through with a large stained glass window on the theme of Mondrian's painting - in this original way the architects connected the interior space with the city landscape. This expressive geometric abstraction has become a modern version of the antique stained glass windows located in the lower tier of the building. To make the compositions of colored glass look as effective as possible, an additional row of already ordinary transparent windows was cut in the upper part of the lancet vaults. Thanks to them, the interior literally floods with sunlight, making the drawings of bright glass panels come to life.
Only now they are devoid of cult symbolism and didactics, but they are part of the decoration of a spacious residence, arranged inside the former church. New windows are the only radical intervention in the architectural body of the building. The rest of the elements of the historical building were treated with the utmost delicacy. The balcony with the organ, which is accessed by a wide side staircase, is extended into the interior by a two-tiered structure similar to a giant modern sculpture. The kitchen is located in the lower part, and the living room is located upstairs. All private rooms (bedrooms and bathrooms) are located in the basement. In contrast to the light walls and colorful stained-glass windows of the "daytime" part of the apartments, dark tones, dazzling white plumbing fixtures and laconic bright accents in textiles and accessories were chosen for the "nighttime" part.
For new needs, old furniture was partially used: church pews became seats in the dining room, and one of them was turned into a tabletop.
Project: God’s Loft house
Location: Harlo
Workshop: LKSVDD architecten
www.lksvdd.nl
Photo: Vincent van den Hoven, LKSVDD architecten
The apogee of the presented renovations can be called the now residential building in Harlo, the very name of which sounds rather daring - "Loft of God". The former Evangelical-Reformed church is newly owned by a couple living and working together - architect Ronald Olthof and decorator Sofie Suiker. They wanted to preserve the 1928 building by converting it into a unique home with smart design and a minimal budget.
Initially, the authors did not plan to divide the interior into many separate rooms, but wanted to preserve the feeling of a large open space as much as possible. It was zoned using a multifunctional vertical structure containing an entrance hall, built-in kitchen, bathroom and stairs leading to the main architectural addition in the interior - a large mezzanine, where there is a relaxation area with a sofa, bedroom and bathroom behind transparent glass. A spectacular red staircase, called the "Ladder to Joy", leads here. The bedroom walls are intentionally dark to create a visual contrast to the light and airy bathroom. As a paraphrase of a church chandelier - an author's chandelier made of bent pipes resembling organ ones. In addition to the walls of the church building, the new owners preserved and restored the old wooden floors, door panels and arched windows with stained-glass windows.
On the lower level, there was a living room and a dining room with a "Heavenly Gate" guarded by a host of angels depicted in a monochrome fresco. On the podium in the former altar part, a home office was equipped with a workplace, a wood-burning stove and a swing for relaxation.
The spouses call respect, humor and creativity as the main features of this personal project. Their motto is: "Take care of your inner child: stay clean by playing, exploring and a little mischievous." But for all the aesthetic impeccability of the author's solutions, in some places they still overstep the line and look frankly cynical. The owners themselves do not see a crime in moderate, in their opinion, irony. And if the wooden figures of "lost sheep" on the lawn at the entrance and glowing birdhouses for migratory birds on the fence are completely harmless, then the cross-shaped design hanging of toilet paper is far from childish and looks just mocking.
Simple and environmentally friendly materials were used for decoration: concrete floors, plastered walls and natural wood - from the outside, the staircase structure is sheathed with boards that used to be used for the floor of the church.
Near the main building there is a spacious patio with a green roof and slatted canopy. A huge old container was adapted for its arrangement, the walls of which now serve as fences for the courtyard. There are flowerbeds and herbs, vegetable beds and fruit trees planted around - as a memory of the old monastery gardens. There are also giant garden vases, made of the remains of old bricks and plastered. The paths are divided so that the main building with the clock tower, which serves as the old church bell tower, remains visible from everywhere.
