ADAPTIVE REUSE of Historic Church Buildings
By Suzanna Barucco sbk + partners , historic preservation consulting
Throughout the country , historic churches stand as community landmarks , reminding us of the investments of previous generations and adding a rich texture to the tapestry of our neighborhoods . In urban settings like Philadelphia , where I live and teach , their scale , form , and high-quality materials and decorations set them apart , providing a welcome visual interlude in residential neighborhoods . But dwindling congregations and high maintenance costs have put many historic religious properties at risk in recent years . When these community assets are lost , they leave a hole in the neighborhood fabric , rarely mended by the new construction that takes its place . The question now more than ever before is , How can we save these places ?
As an adjunct professor in Jefferson University ’ s College of Architecture and the Built Environment , my focus increasingly has turned to answering this question through adaptive reuse , the process by which a building is converted to a use other than that for which it was designed . The trick is finding new purposes for these churches while preserving their historic character . I often task my architecture and historic preservation students with creating adaptive reuse solutions that are practical but mindful of building history .
The successful adaptive reuse of a historic building incorporates character-defining elements of the original building into the new design . For a factory building , that might mean preserving a smokestack or the style , size , and number of window openings on a long façade , allowing the repetitive rhythm of the openings to continue to identify the building as a former place of industry . Interiors might retain exposed brick and wood floors . Historic religious properties , in addition to the physical manifestations of character , have what might be called experiential characterdefining features related to the intangible sacred aspects of the building . 1 Both physical and intangible characteristics of a historic church are often more complex and more challenging to preserve .
Another important consideration when applying the principle of adaptive reuse is finding a purpose compatible with the existing building . Because churches are designed for large gatherings and performance ( sermons , choir singing ), they are easily adapted as theater spaces . Indeed , many active congregations share their sanctuaries with arts groups , which creates a mostly seamless transition between uses . As churches already are seen as civic assets , the first inclination when a church becomes vacant is to propose its use as a community center or other community-serving purpose . Unfortunately , these alternatives are not always possible . Can other uses be inserted into these spaces while preserving their character ?
The sanctuary and stained-glass windows , often depicting religious figures and iconography , define many churches . Sanctuary spaces are typically voluminous , with high ceilings displaying decorative trusswork , while the altar and nave areas often contain the largest windows . The challenge lies in how to retain some sense of this volume when inserting a new use into the space . One successful approach uses the altar or nave area for circulation — an open stair or an elevator , for example . This strategy was used to great effect
1David Zaveloff , “ Guidelines for the Adaptive Reuse of Historic Religious Buildings ,” in St . Michael ’ s Lutheran Church , Adaptive Reuse , unpublished report , Adaptive Reuse & Urban Regeneration , Fall 2022 semester , Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia , p . 4 .
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