New functions of rural sacral buildings in the Groningen province, The Netherlands

Maria Arno

doi:10.37190/arc210104

Abstract

Religious buildings are an important element of the European cultural heritage. The aim of the article was to show that due to secularization of Europe, adaptation of religious buildings to other functions becomes a necessity. Their owners (Church institutions), architects, conservators and historians are facing the dilemma: how to preserve the building or transform it so that it can have a different function. The article presents the issue of restoration and adaptation of historic sacral buildings to other purposes. Most Western European countries are struggling with the problem of a constantly growing number of unused churches, most of which are historic buildings of high historical and architectural value, but also of cultural and social value. This issue is particularly evident in the Netherlands, where, due to the lack of church-goers and the excessive maintenance cost, churches are purchased by private persons or institutions and transformed into cultural, residential or service facilities. The author presented and discussed the cooperation of the Stichting Oude Groninger Kerken foundation, which, together with architectural studios, provides for abandoned religious buildings in the Groningen province. This cooperation resulted in the creation of many attractive projects for adaptation of old churches. Abandoned and rundown buildings have gained a new life. Three adaptation projects seem particularly interesting: in Garmewolde, Klein Wetsinge and Leegkerk. They were transformed into cultural, tourist, meeting and integration facilities. With their new function, the former churches contribute to the promotion of the province of Groningen, which significantly increases the attractiveness of the region to tourists. In conclusion, it should be emphasized that the adaptation of abandoned sacred buildings is one of the possibilities to preserve the religious heritage for future generations. The optimal solution is to combine the new function with the identity of a given place, its historical, cultural and sacred value.

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2021

1(65)

DOI: 10.37190/arc210104

Maria Arno*

New functions of rural sacral buildings in the Groningen province,

The Netherlands

* ORCID: 0000-0001-6794-2578. Faculty of Architecture, War-

saw University of Technology, e-mail: maria.arno@hotmail.com

Introduction

Changes which occur in social and cultural life of a given

society aect sacral architecture. A religious building plays

a signicant role in the life of an individual, as […] it sat-

ises human religious, spiritual and social needs, as well

as the need for aliation [Author’s own transl.] [1, p. 10].

For centuries, sacral buildings have demonstrated achieve-

ments in the eld of architectural engineering combined

with creative possibilities of architects. Nowadays, sacral

architecture is still of great importance to the common

identity of the nation. Historic churches – being a symbol

of national identity, culture and heritage – constitute an es-

sential part of collective memory. Hence, apart from their

historical, architectural and ethical value, sacral buildings

are marked by a cultural and social signicance in Europe.

In many European towns, the lack of church-goers coupled

with excessive maintenance cost results in churches being

purchased by private persons with the view to transform-

ing them into cultural, residential or service facilities. The

problems that arise from changing the function of sac red

space and adapting sacral buildings to other pur poses is

a multifaceted one. The circumstances under which sacral

buildings currently nd themselves exemplify the process

of desacralization and secularization of Europe.

Buildings of religious worship function not only as carri-

ers of sacred, historical and cultural values. They rather con-

stitute an important element of the landscape, as they par-

ticipate in shaping the urban structure, especially in small

towns and villages. Visible from a distance, sacral architec-

ture would tower above remaining buildings and arrange

space. Moreover, religious buildings provided the center of

political and spiritual life of a given community. Churches,

which are usually the oldest monuments, […] are places

where the cultural development of humankind was shaped,

as well as places where, for centuries, the values of coexis

tence between people were conveyed and presented [2, p. 13].

Adaptation of old religious buildings in the Groningen

province, the Netherlands, is the subject of the present

paper. The Netherlands has been selected as a country in

which the widespread phenomenon of church adaptation

may be observed. The article is aimed at drawing attention

to the fact, often overlooked, that the adaptation of sacral

buildings should be considered on various levels due to

the multifaceted nature of the objects. Apart from histor-

ical, aesthetic and cultural values, sacral buildings hold

also semantic and religious values.

Justification for the choice of topic

These days, the fact that former places of worship are

adapted to other purposes often arises from a necessity.

Architects, restorers, historians, owners (church author-

ities) and the public must address the problem of what

should be done with a desacralized object. Should it be re-

tained as a witness to history and bygone times, should it

be used for new functions or rather demolished complete-

ly? Due to the multitude of unfrequented places of wor-

ship, each solution must be carefully considered. Owing

to semantic-narrative dimension, historic sacral objects

should be treated dierently from other monuments. If the

adaptation process of a building is conducted with respect

to the existing building tissue, its heritage and historic

character is preserved, causing no cognitive dissonance.

Although the functional values may alter as a result of

reconstruction or adaptation to other functions, the sym-

bolic and emotional values remain unchanged.

The issue related to adaptations of former churches is

of very complex nature and sparks controversy, especially

32 Maria Arno

in societies that foster Christian values. The problem was

raised many times at meetings of the Council of Europe

(The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

– PACE) and at conferences of the Holy See. At one of the

meetings of the Council of Europe in 1989, Resolution 916

was adopted, the last 11 point of which concerns the coop-

eration of church bodies with secular organizations in or-

der to nd solutions and take eective action regarding the

development of abandoned and desacralized churches [3].

In 2000, at the Council meeting in Eversdijk, the issue of

putting church buildings into new use was discussed. Three

possible solutions were agreed on, i.e., adaptation to reli-

gious purposes (e.g., a pilgrim center, a catechetical center,

a place of retreat and contemplation), partial use of space

by a religious group (mixed functions), and nally demoli-

tion of sacral objects owing to their abandonment [3].

The document, which was issued by the Holy See in Oc-

tober 2018 [4], points out that places of worship cannot be

treated solely in terms of their economic function because

of the identity of the place, its current function and sym-

bolism. As Pope Francis I stated, religious heritage is a wit-

ness to the faith of the community which formed it over the

centuries, and thus is also an instrument of evangelization.

The Pope emphasizes that taking into account the mission-

ary nature when adapting abandoned churches would be

a proper solution. The document also draws attention to

the need to keep elements of church equipment in mind

when adapting the sacral building to secular purposes.

In Poland, however, the topic is rarely acknowledged.

So far, one book directly related to the issue of church

adaptation has been published by Andrzej Białkiewicz

[5]. The book contains general information and examples

of such activities in various Western European countries.

Moreover, a doctoral dissertation was prepared by Marty-

na Wojtuszek [6] at the Silesian University of Technolo-

gy, which focused on architectural and construction issues

connected with the adaptation of churches.

However, the topic is extensively discussed in West-

ern European countries. Among the numerous scientic

publications, we must mention the works, inter alia, by

Coolmans [7], Fiorani, Kealy, Musso [8], Wesselink [9],

Reinstra [10], Velthuis and Spennemann [11], Netsch and

Gugerell [12]. The above authors discuss issues of heritage

in the case of sacral architecture in a secularized Western

society and the appropriate intended use of former church

buildings that have ceased to serve their original function.

Publications and the research which was conducted by

non-governmental organizations dealing with preserva-

tion of religious heritage in Europe, such as Future for Re-

li gious Heritage, Churches Conservation Trust, Gronin -

gen’s Historic Churches Foundation, Sacred Places/Civic

Spaces and Reliwiki.nl, are of great cognitive value.

The situation in the Groningen province

and the activities of the Stichting Oude Groninger

Kerken foundation

Since the mid-1960s, the Netherlands has observed se-

cularization of society, a progressive decline in the num-

ber of church-goers in Protestant and Catholic parishes as

well as the disappearance of traditional religious values.

It is also there that an increasingly frequent phenomenon

of adaptation of abandoned sacral buildings to other pur-

poses is observed. According to statistical data of 2017,

over a half of citizens do not feel associated with any re-

ligious community [11]. Moreover, in the Netherlands,

a steady decline in the number of church-goers that parti-

cipate in religious services is noticed. In 1971, still 37 per-

cent of the population regularly attended church services

at least once a month. This gure, however, fell to 17 per-

cent in 2012 and to 16 percent in 2017 [11]. According to

Wesselink [9], at least one fth (around 6,900) of Dutch

former church buildings were remodeled so as to serve

secular functions. Moreover, around 25 percent of Dutch

churches which were built between 1800 and 1970 are

now used for non-religious purposes, including housing

complexes, oces and cultural centers.

The situation in the northern, mostly rural, province of

Groningen, is similar, as depopulation and the decline in

the number of church-goers, progressing secularization

and laicization are changing the reality of the local com-

munity. Along with the economic development of the city

of Groningen, a decline in the population as well as pop-

ulation aging in the municipalities further away from the

city, especially in rural areas are observed [13]. Desolated

sacral buildings fall into ruin, but the local community is

taking action to save such objects and pass them on to

future generations

In 1969, in response to the poor technical condition of

many churches in the Groningen province, the Stichting

Oude Groninger Kerken Foundation (SOGK) was estab-

lished, whose function is to handle the local cultural heri-

tage. The institution was established by volunteers of va-

rious denominations who took over the management of

sa cral buildings from the church authorities. Ever since

the foundation was commenced, it received nancing

from private donors. It was not until 1980s that the foun-

dation was supported by government programs and subsi-

dies for the protection of monuments.

Since its very beginning, the management board of the

foundation promoted its activities by means of trips and

publications, in which the scale of the problem was pre-

sented by displaying pictures of rundown churches [14].

It was assumed that the local community would play an

important role in the management of the places of for-

mer worship. Direct involvement of rural residents was

considered a condition for successful adaptation, and then

for its proper use and protection. In 2013, the Minister of

Education, Culture and Science formally established the

foundation as an organization for the protection of mon-

uments – Professionele Organisatie Voor Monumenten-

behoud (POM). From then on, the foundation has been

In 2019, the author conducted eld research on desecrated reli-

gious buildings in this Dutch province. She also took part in the interna-

tional conference “International Conference Religious Heritage in a Di-

verse Europe: New Directions in Practice, Policy & Scholarship”, which

took place in Groningen. The event was co-organized by the Stichting

Oude Groninger Kerken foundation. The article stems from the afore-

mentioned research.

Adaptation of sacral objects in the Netherlands 33

Fig. 1. View of the interior of the former church in Garmerwolde,

towards the porch and transept.

Condition during renovation works, 2019

(photo by M. Arno)

Il. 1. Widok wnętrza dawnego kościoła w Garmerwolde

w kierunku kruchty i transeptu.

Stan podczas prac remontowych, 2019 (fot. M. Arno)

able to submit simplied applications for co-nancing the

restoration of monuments

. In 2019, SOGK celebrated

its 50

anniversary. Within 50 years of its operations, the

foundation has become one of the main heritage protec-

tion organizations in the Netherlands. Currently, it super-

vises 93 churches, 9 free-standing towers, 57 cemeteries.

700 volunteers are involved in various conservation activ-

ities. So far, members of the foundation have organized

around 1,000 cultural events

; the foundation continues to

pursue the same goals as specied in Articles 1 and 2 of its

statute. These are as follows [16]:

a) the acquisition, conservation, restoration, manage-

ment and maintenance of historic sacral buildings as well

as buildings and adjacent areas in a proper technical and

operational condition;

b) striving to use buildings and adjacent areas to the

greatest extent possible in accordance with their nature

;

c) undertaking initiatives related to consultation, infor-

mation, publication and establishing contacts with owners

of facilities referred to in point a.

The practical activities of the SOGK foundation are

illustrated by the examples of three projects for the ad-

aptation of historic churches for secular purposes – these

include the former churches in Garmewolde, Klein

Wetsinge and Leegkerk.

The Church in Garmerwolde

In 2003, the medieval single-nave church in the village

of Garmerwolde

was passed to SOGK by the Protestant

community, thanks to which it was preserved and reno-

vated. The Romanesque-gothic cross-plan church, with

a free-standing tower, was erected in the 2

half of the

century. Originally, it belonged to the Roman Catholic

community, but since 1594 it was property of Protestants.

This led to a change in the functional and spatial layout of

the temple and its interior design. In 1859, the nave and

the presbytery were demolished, only the transept and the

choir (church porch) were retained [17]. The remains of

the wall are visible on the west side of the church adjacent

to the cemetery.

The external wall of the transept and the choir is deco-

rated with pilasters and niches. Inside, the walls and vaults

are decorated with paintings which depict scenes from the

lives of Mary, Jesus and the Apostles. The paintings were

made at the beginning of the 16

century (Fig. 1). The

late-baroque pulpit of 1740 was placed in the center of the

temple after 1859 [17]. Numerous stone tombstones with

According to a speech by Agmar van Rijn (SOGK member) at the

conference “Religious Heritage in a Diverse Europe. New Directions in

Practice, Policy & Scholarship”, Groningen, June 19–21, 2019.

Based on the foundation’s statistical data [15].

Never before has the foundation decided to adapt the church

build

ings to a completely new function (such as adaptation for residen-

tial or commercial/utility purposes). New functions were always sought

in line with the historical purpose of the church as a place of gatherings

and meetings, culture and retreat, respecting history and traditions and in

consultation with the local community.

In 2019, the village of Garmerwolde, north of the city of Gronin-

gen, had a population of around 500.

carved decorations and coats of arms are found inside the

church. The object was entered in the register of monu-

ments on November 2, 1971 (registration no. 9780).

In the years 2013–2014, the foundation conducted com-

prehensive restoration works inside the church. As a result,

the paintings on the walls and vaults as well as the interior

design were revitalized. Moreover, the tombstones were

renovated, while the benches and the oor were painted.

The organs, dating back to end of the 19

century, were

renovated and repaired, whereas their original colors were

restored. The instrument, which was built by the P. van

Oeckelen company from the northern Netherlands, is valu -

able both in terms of sound and appearance [17].

The church is rented for celebrations such as weddings,

funerals, various meetings, receptions, concerts and exhibi-

tions (Fig. 1). Nevertheless, its original function has been

preserved – once a month the service of the reformed Prot-

estant community of Garmerwolde Thesinge is held there

In 2020, the church building in Garmerwolde became

an educational building and was used for cultural acti vi-

ties and events, mainly aimed at children [18]. The church,

together with the adjoining tower, has become the chief

place where national program “Fest! In ost und west” [Ho-

li days! Find out what you celebrate] is implemented. The

program was initiated by the Catharijneconvent museum

in Utrecht in cooperation with ten other museum institu-

tions in the Netherlands. Its aim is to promote know ledge

about the material and non-material heritage of religious

holidays of various denominations and to provide an im-

pulse for intercultural dialogue in the Netherlands.

An exhibition is planned at the church in Garmerwol-

de. The organization of the event was entrusted to the

According to a speech by Anne Benneker (member of Local

Group Church Garmerwolde) at the “Religious Heritage in a Diverse

Europe. New Directions in Practice, Policy & Scholarship”, Groningen,

June 19–21, 2019.

34 Maria Arno

Fig. 2. Adaptation project of

the church tower in Garmerwolde

for exhibition functions.

Cross-section and projection

(source: MX13 design materials)

Il. 2. Projekt adaptacji wieży

przykościelnej w Garmerwolde

na funkcje wystawiennicze.

Przekrój i rzut (źródło: materiały

projektowe pracowni MX13)

MX13, a Dutch architectural studio. The exhibition con-

cept comprises three facilities (the newly designed build-

ing, the church and the church tower). The new building,

the so-called Kerkhörn, houses an information desk, an

exhibition room and educational rooms. The highlight of

the event is the exhibition held in the tower, which de-

picts eight important Christian and Islamic holidays. The

exhibition is authored by the 212 Fahrenheit studio. The

inside of the tower houses a staircase, about 20 m high,

which winds around the bell structure (Figs. 2, 3). In

this way, a visitor takes a walk around the bell and the

clock structure. The bell dates back to 1604, whereas the

clockwork originated in the 16

century. In the 1990s, the

clock mechanism was repaired and electried [19].

The MX13 studio designed the exhibition in such a way

as to prevent it from interfering with the heritage and his-

toric value of the tower. Stairs and remaining devices are

placed on an independent structure, so they can be removed

with no trace at any time. The stairs, which are made of

a wooden frame structure, are covered with a polyester

nish which conceals all the technical ele ments.

The Church in Klein Wetsinge

The Protestant church in the village of Klein Wetsinge

was erected in 1840. In 2003, it was passed to SOGK

by the Protestant community. Designed in a neoclassical

style, the small hall church replaced two medieval congre-

gation churches in nearby villages, as the objects had been

de solated and subsequently demolished. The analyzed

object was built of red brick and covered with a gable

roof with pantiles. The bell tower, designed in the form

of a wooden superstructure, was crowned with an octag-

onal pointed cupola. The preserved original wooden pul-

pit probably originates from the old church in Wetsinge,

whereas the organs, still functioning, were installed there

no sooner than 1914 [20]. Both the pulpit (17

century)

and the organs (18

century) are regional products from

various historical periods, prior to than the construction

of the church. The aforementioned elements of the church

equipment symbolically link the present with the past and

strengthen the sense of identity of the local community

(Fig. 4). The building, which was entered in the register of

monuments on July 22, 1998 (registration number 510816),

was rundown and required a major renovation.

In 2014, the former reformed congregation church was

fully renovated. The decision was guided by the idea to

create a meeting place for the inhabitants of the village,

with only 45 residents as of 2019

. The former church

now became a center for cultural events such as lectures,

various performances and concerts, as well as weddings

and other celebrations. Situated at the intersection of two

The population decreased by 25 percent compared to 2013, when

it had amounted to 60 [21].

Adaptation of sacral objects in the Netherlands 35

Fig. 3. A photograph following the implementation

of the project in the tower in Garmerwolde,

July 2020

(source: design materials of the MX13 studio)

Il. 3. Zdjęcie po realizacji projektu w wieży w Garmerwolde,

lipiec 2020

(źródło: materiały projektowe pracowni MX13)

Fig. 4. View of the interior of the former church in Klein Wetsinge

towards the porch.

Condition before renovation, 2011 (source: [20])

Il. 4. Widok wnętrza dawnego kościoła w Klein Wetsinge

w kierunku kruchty.

Stan przed remontem, 2011 (źródło: [20])

Fig. 5. View of the interior of the former church in Klein Wetsinge

towards the porch, 2019

(photo by M. Arno)

Il. 5. Widok wnętrza dawnego kościoła w Klein Wetsinge

w kierunku kruchty,

2019 (fot. M. Arno)

bicycle routes to Groningen, the church also functions as

an information and gastronomic center, as well as a view-

ing point.

The new church space was designed by J.O.N.G. Ar-

chitecten, a Dutch architectural studio. The architects in-

corporated two kiosks on the oval plan into the nave. The

kiosks house a kitchen and a small meeting room (Fig. 5).

Interior lighting xtures provide a modern element of the

equipment. The round shape of the chandeliers is a refer-

ence to the rounded shape of the vault [22]. Simple tables

and black chairs make it easy to adapt the interior to par-

ticular needs. During the renovation of the church, all his-

torical elements were refurbished – the pulpit still towers

over the interior, as it occupies a central place in the space

of the nave. During the renovation, features such as a new

sound system and underoor heating were installed. Sani-

tary rooms were also arranged in the entrance area. Above

the choir, a wooden footbridge was designed on the rst

oor. It leads to a panoramic viewpoint (window) located

in the roof slope (Fig. 6).

The adaptation project of the former Klein Wetsinge

church interiors was awarded with the BNA architectural

Prize for the best building of 2016 in the category “Best

Building of the Year 2016” (category “Liveability and So-

cial Cohesion”) [23]. As stated in the jury’s verdict, the

appreciated features included not only the adaptation of

36 Maria Arno

a 3.5-meter high wall with an arcaded passageway was

built between the nave and the presbytery. A panel with

the Decalogue written on it was placed on the wall. The

only elements which recall the Roman Catholic rite in-

clude the sacramental niche at the entrance to the building

and the piscina dating back to the 16

century, as well as

the wall paintings [25, p. 63].

The last liturgy of the Protestant community was held

here in 1965. The church was deemed redundant due to

the decreasing number of church-goers and the inability

to maintain the object. In 1969, the building was in very

bad technical condition, which was one of the reasons for

establishing the SOGK foundation. In 1970, the church

was passed to the foundation by the Protestant communi-

ty for a symbolic amount of 1 gulden [20]

. In the years

1970–1973, the building was thoroughly renovated and

refurbished. The church appearance and décor dating back

to the 13

century were largely restored by removing var-

ious elements from the 16

-century reconstruction period

(Fig. 7). Some of the windows were replaced, the western

wall was plastered, the entrance towards the east (intro-

duced in 1910) was bricked up, whereas the original en-

trance towards the south was reopened [24]. The church

became a place of occasional cultural events. The building

Dutch guilder – the currency of the Netherlands from the 17

century to 2002. 1 guilder = 100 cents.

Fig. 7. View of the interior of the former church in Leegkerk

towards the presbytery.

Condition prior to renovation, 2012 (source: [24])

Il. 7. Widok wnętrza dawnego kościoła w Leegkerk

w kierunku prezbiterium.

Stan przed remontem, 2012 (źródło: [24])

Fig. 8. View of the interior of the former church in Leegkerk,

towards the church porch, 2019 (photo by M. Arno)

Il. 8. Widok wnętrza dawnego kościoła w Leegkerk

w kierunku kruchty, 2019 (fot. M. Arno)

the interior to secular functions, but also exposition of the

value of the place and the emphasis of the historic values

of the building.

The Church in Leegkerk

Rebuilt in the 16

century, the medieval church in Leeg -

kerk, with 75 inhabitants as of today – is located west of

the city of Groningen, amidst the elds and meadows typ-

ical of the Groningen countryside landscape. The church

was built for the Roman Catholic community but in 1594

it was handed over to Protestants [24]. Therefore, the orig-

inal interior layout and equipment changed. Around 1550,

Fig. 6. A project to adapt the interior of the former church

in Klein Wetsinge to cultural, gastronomic and tourist functions.

Longitudinal and cross section

(source: design materials of the J.O.N.G. Architecten studio)

Il. 6. Projekt adaptacji wnętrz dawnego kościoła w Klein Wetsinge

do funkcji kulturalnych, gastronomicznych i turystycznych.

Przekrój podłużny i poprzeczny

(źródło: materiały projektowe pracowni J.O.N.G. Architecten)

Adaptation of sacral objects in the Netherlands 37

Conclusions

The adaptation of abandoned religious buildings pro-

vides a possibility of preserving their heritage for future

generations. The optimal solution is to combine the new

function with the identity of a given place and its values,

both historical and cultural ones. The adaptation phenom-

enon is by no means a new solution, characteristic only

of our times. During the Reformation in the present-day

Netherlands, a signicant part of previously Roman Cath-

olic churches were passed to Protestants. This fact led to

changes in interior design of these objects and their adap-

tation to the needs of a dierent liturgy.

The Netherlands has been selected as a country where the

phenomenon of church adaptation is widespread. Numerous

examples of adaptation performed there can help architects,

conservators, historians and owners of sacral objects in oth-

er countries in the analysis of the phenomenon and may of-

fer a chance for implementation of selected solutions.

Thanks to the activities of the SOGK foundation, the

desolated and rundown churches have gained a new func-

tion and recipients. Due to the cooperation and commit-

ment of the local community, the new functionality of the

church raises no objections from the inhabitants. The ob-

jects perform other functions – as cultural venues, tourist

spots, places of meetings and integration of residents. The

churches, in their new function, contribute to the promotion

of the Groningen Province, which signicantly increases

the attractiveness of the region to tourists. It is important

to mention that all the interference into the historic tissue

in the form of new layers are not permanent and can easily

be removed. New elements may be dismantled, in order to

restore the original sacral function to the buildings.

Unlike secular objects, sacral buildings, whose func-

tion is unique, require an individual approach to the issue

of transformation, modernization and adaptation. Adapta-

tion and modernization of churches force designers to pay

attention not only to the aesthetic value of the preserved

tissue, but also to the elements and spatial arrangements

related to the original function of the objects.

Translated by

Emilia Mełgieś

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Fig. 9. Project of adapting the interior of the former church

in Leegkerk to cultural and gastronomic functions.

Longitudinal and cross section

(source: AWG Architekten design materials)

Il. 9. Projekt adaptacji wnętrza dawnego kościoła w Leegkerk

do funkcji kulturalnych i gastronomicznych.

Przekrój podłużny i poprzeczny

(źródło: materiały projektowe pracowni AWG Architekten)

was entered in the register of monuments on November 9,

1971 (registration no. 18755).

In 2013, a major renovation was conducted and the

church was adapted to cultural needs and events such as

weddings, meetings and concerts. The interiors were de-

signed by Jan Verrelst of AWG Architekten from Antwerp.

The presbytery and the nave were separated by a double

door, the pulpit from 1647 was retained (it was moved to

the opposite wall). Also the plaque with the Decalogue

from 1653 located above the passage between the nave

and the presbytery, as well as tombstones were preserved.

A golden cube with a side of 6 m with a kitchen and

sanitary facilities was designed in the main nave. The

cube was intersected with stairs leading to the observa-

tion deck with which the object was enclosed (Fig. 8). The

golden color of the cube cladding – an alloy of copper and

aluminum was chosen for a reason. On the one hand, its

task was to illuminate the interior by reecting light, and

on the other – it was to symbolize the sacred [26].

In 2013, the project to revitalize the church in Leegkerk

won the audience award in the Grote Groninger Building

Survey 2013 in the adaptation category (Fig. 9).

38 Maria Arno

Abstract

New functions of rural sacral buildings in the Groningen province, The Netherlands

Religious buildings are an important element of the European cultural heritage. The aim of the article was to show that due to secularization

of Europe, adaptation of religious buildings to other functions becomes a necessity. Their owners (Church institutions), architects, conservators

and

historians are facing the dilemma: how to preserve the building or transform it so that it can have a dierent function.

The article presents the issue of restoration and adaptation of historic sacral buildings to other purposes. Most Western European countries are

struggling with the problem of a constantly growing number of unused churches, most of which are historic buildings of high historical and ar-

chitectural value, but also of cultural and social value. This issue is particularly evident in the Netherlands, where, due to the lack of church-goers

and the excessive maintenance cost, churches are purchased by private persons or institutions and transformed into cultural, residential or service

facilities.

The author presented and discussed the cooperation of the Stichting Oude Groninger Kerken foundation, which, together with architectural

studios, provides for abandoned religious buildings in the Groningen province. This cooperation resulted in the creation of many attractive projects

for adaptation of old churches. Abandoned and rundown buildings have gained a new life. Three adaptation projects seem particularly interesting: in

Garmewolde, Klein Wetsinge and Leegkerk. They were transformed into cultural, tourist, meeting and integration facilities. With their new function,

the former churches contribute to the promotion of the province of Groningen, which signicantly increases the attractiveness of the region to tourists.

In conclusion, it should be emphasized that the adaptation of abandoned sacred buildings is one of the possibilities to preserve the religious her-

itage for future generations. The optimal solution is to combine the new function with the identity of a given place, its historical, cultural and sacred

value.

Key words: adaptation, former churches, religious heritage, The Netherlands

Streszczenie

Nowe funkcje wiejskich budowli sakralnych w prowincji Groningen w Holandii

Obiekty sakralne to ważny element dziedzictwa kulturalnego Europy. Celem artykułu było pokazanie, że z powodu laicyzacji Europy adaptacja

obiektów sakralnych na inne funkcje staje się koniecznością. Ich właściciele (instytucje kościelne), architekci, konserwatorzy oraz historycy stają

przed problemem, jak zachować obiekt bądź przekształcić go na inną funkcję.

W artykule poruszono problem rewaloryzacji i adaptacji zabytkowych obiektów sakralnych do innych celów. Większość krajów Europy Zachod-

niej boryka się z problemem stale rosnącej liczby nieużytkowanych świątyń, z których większość jest obiektami zabytkowymi o wysokiej wartości

nie tylko historycznej i architektonicznej, ale również kulturowej i społecznej. Szczególnie jaskrawo problem ten widać w Holandii, gdzie wskutek

braku wiernych i zbyt dużych kosztów utrzymania kościoły nabywają osoby prywatne lub instytucje, by przekształcić je w obiekty kulturowe, miesz-

kaniowe lub usługowe.

Autorka przedstawiła i omówiła współpracę fundacji Stichting Oude Groninger Kerken – opiekującej się opuszczonymi obiektami sakralnymi

w prowincji Groningen – z pracowniami architektonicznymi. Współpraca ta zaowocowała powstaniem wielu atrakcyjnych projektów adaptacji daw-

nych świątyń. Opuszczone i popadające w ruinę kościoły zyskały nowe życie. Szczególnie interesujące wydają się trzy projekty adaptacji: w Garme-

wolde, Klein Wetsinge oraz Leegkerk. Przekształcono je na obiekty pełniące funkcje kulturalne, turystyczne, miejsca spotkań i integracji mieszkań-

ców. Kościoły w swojej nowej funkcji przyczyniają się do promocji prowincji Groningen, znacznie zwiększając atrakcyjność regionu dla turystów.

Podsumowując, należy podkreślić, że adaptacja opuszczonych budynków sakralnych jest jedną z możliwości zachowania dziedzictwa dla przyszłych

pokoleń. Optymalnym rozwiązaniem jest połączenie nowej funkcji z tożsamością danego miejsca, jego wartością historyczną, kulturową i sakralną.

Słowa kluczowe: adaptacja, dawne kościoły, dziedzictwo religijne, Holandia

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