Reallocation St. Joseph's Church Roeselare ensures positive neighbourhood dynamics
Religious heritage
1800 Roman Catholic churches and only five percent of Flemish people go to church every week. This implies that there are only an average of approximately 166 regular churchgoers per church. The number of clergy is also declining. By reallocating the churches, we give this religious heritage a new function.
VOKA Real Estate West and East Flanders and colleague Pascal Steeland (CityD-WES) visited the St. Joseph's Church in Roeselare, which has been successfully reallocated.
The construction of the St. Joseph's Church started in 1952 and it immediately became the central point in the new district between the port and Rumbeke. The church was deconsecrated in 2014. This was followed by several attempts by a project developer to demolish the church and build an apartment building on the site. The permit process met with resistance from the neighbourhood and the city, who were reluctant to see this beautiful monument disappear. 3Architects, the architectural firm of Barbara Ostyn, Jan Tyvaert and Christophe Keirsbilck, proposed reallocating the church and decided to establish their headquarters there.
The reallocation was done with great respect for the uniqueness of the building and its surroundings. Many co-creation sessions took place with the neighbourhood. Citizens and associations can now rent part of the church, the ship. The ship was given a multi-purpose function as an event and meeting venue after office hours and during the weekend. The ship can be separated from the office space by a nice-looking wooden fence. There is an intense collaboration with the city of Roeselare, which rents the space on a structural basis. The event location offers space for baby showers, repair café, yoga sessions, neighbourhood activities, breakfast moments, aperitif concerts, etc. and therefore ensures a positive neighborhood dynamic.
Re-use with a focus on sustainability
To keep heritage sites relevant or make them relevant again, a strategy must be developed that uses the heritage value, social value and commercial value of the site as potential. By adding new functions and/or reactivating old ones, there will be a balanced offer that benefits all stakeholders. Part of this is focusing on a purposeful quality upscaling of the visitor experience. Making choices and determining priorities is very important. CityD is happy to help you make the right choices.
Three sober facade-wide openings have been made in the church to create a connection between the church space and the surroundings, as well as to draw in more light. They seem to have been there forever. The design and appearance of the interventions, both exterior and interior, fit in with the existing building. Heating, lighting and acoustic techniques are functional and incorporated in a simple way. The heating is done via underfloor heating: a new polyconcrete floor was poured on top of the existing floor. The heat supply is provided by heat pumps powered by solar panels. The system is hybrid and the previous gas boiler system can be used during freezing days. The entire attic space has been insulated. Special attention is paid to acoustics in the design. The walls and partitions are covered with acoustic materials.
3Architects has also promised to keep the church clock and bells through a third party. The bells of St. Joseph's Church still ring as before and are reminiscent of the religious past.
The city also took the opportunity to de-pave the entire area around the church. About 7,000 m² has been depaved: green squares, wadis, open ditches, benches, etc. The project around St. Joseph's Church gives space to the residents with 3,000 square meters of additional greenery. The benches are frequently used by local residents. Existing trees also receive extra attention. Valuable lime trees and American oaks that were already growing there will be given additional space for root growth. The neighbourhood is now a low trafic zone and iss designed as a zone 30. Traffic has been cut to prevent through-traffic. Footpaths and parking strips have permeable paving.
The city of Ostend will also reallocate church buildings
Ostend's new church policy plan means that existing church buildings will be given a new or an additional function. All buildings intended for worship are mapped, together with the current use and function of each building. Through an urban task force and involving residents, the city wants to develop a plan for the future use of these buildings.
The reallocation is necessary, also from a financial point of view, because Ostend taxpayers pay around 1.5 million euros annually in subsidies for the church factories. Ostend is determined to quickly identify which church buildings can be reallocated and make concrete decisions about this.
Would you also like to form a vision regarding the reallocation of a church or other heritage building? CityD will assist you with advice and assistance in finding a new solution that is feasible from the market (demand-driven) but also from a financial point of view.
Would you like to know more about our pillars Real Estate & Area Development and Tourism and Leisure? Contact us for a no-obligation (digital) appointment!
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