A Chapel Converted Into a Modern Apartment

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The decline in church attendance over the last several decades has meant that countless churches across the Netherlands have lost their function. They are crumbling, are demolished, or are put to new uses. Their specific architectural features often fall by the wayside in this process. Not every church can be turned into a municipal exhibition hall, and if, for example, a residential use is chosen, the original spatial qualities are usually lost. A dutch firm named Zecc has converted an old chapel into an apartment, carefully respecting and enhancing the character of the original building. The chapel was part of a large housing complex of the Friars of Utrecht, which at its height, around the mid-20th century, housed 217 residents. The remaining 13 elderly friars, however, moved to a nursing home in 2005, and the complex was divided up and converted into about 40 apartments.

This was the church before ZECC Architects started the work.
house church

And this is how the church looks now …modern and stylish.
church house

The design team chose to keep many of the original features like the high gothic stained glass windows and the original choir organ. To allow more light to enter the space, they cut a Mondrian-inspired glass window into the front of the house facing the street perhaps paying homage to Rietveld’s nearby infamous Schroder House. The entire living area has been whitewashed, while the private spaces above were painted dark. In conclusion this place might be controversial, but it looks very modern and stylish. – Via – Thecoolhunter

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101 Responses to “A Chapel Converted Into a Modern Apartment”

Pages: « 3 2 [1] Show All

  1. 50
    Jim Says:

    It’s horrible.
    Cold and uninteresting.
    It looks like a bond villains pad.

  2. 49
    Se vende antigua Iglesia reformada en pisito de soltero at Recórcholis Says:

    [...] Fuente: freshome — Puedes comentar esta entrada: — Entradas Relacionadas:&nbsp(Nueva señal para el peligro [...]

  3. 48
    Alex Says:

    This house has particular interest for an atheist like myself!

  4. 47
    Red Says:

    I take it would be very hard to masturbate in that place.

  5. 46
    Len Says:

    I love it. Then again, I’m a twenty-something pastor. Go figure.

  6. 45
    Chris Says:

    Holy water in the toilets and from the faucets… you can’t go wrong! I’d also keep the collection basket out and pass it to all my guests.

  7. 44
    Pete Says:

    no farting in church.

  8. 43
    Seminar in Composition » Reimagining Ourselves Says:

    [...] Which was then turned into an apartment: [...]

  9. 42
    Una iglesia convertida en una casa | Zujar Blog (Rastreando la Web) Says:

    [...] Mas imagenes AQUI [...]

  10. 41
    Elizabeth Says:

    If the rooms were decked out in symbols of Hinduism, the same people would say, “Oh, how charming! I love the touches of cultural history juxtaposed with the modern aesthetic!” So much for objectivity.

  11. 40
    Random Links January 23rd « Davenport’s Says:

    [...] A Chapel Converted Into a Modern Apartment [...]

  12. 39
    David Says:

    Alex Ion said
    Jan 22nd, 2008 at 5:13 pm

    I don’t think I could keep it up if I were to make love to my wife, seeing all the crosses.

    ——————————————————————————————-

    God invented sex! It’s OK to make love to your wife!
    Do all for the glory of God!

    I would love to live there. I would love to sing praise and prayers along with my trusty guitars to the maker of the universe!

  13. 38
    A Chapel Converted Into a Modern Apartment [ Pics ] « Thoughts by Isaac Says:

    [...] January 23, 2008 http://freshome.com/2008/01/22/a-chapel-converted-into-a-modern-apartment/ [...]

  14. 37
    spanatko Says:

    Oh my God, the crosses there should really be replaced by something less rigid. Otherwise ist pretty cool.

  15. 36
    dickson tn real estate Says:

    I love the idea of converting an old church or any kind of old building into a residential property! I think this one is a little too white for my taste. Still it looks good though.

  16. 35
    Gary Says:

    I bought an 135 year old church two years ago. Ive been slowly renovating. I am going to keep the old period look though.
    I got some great ideas from these pics :~)

  17. 34
    Nolff Says:

    I just want to leave a meaningless comment like everyone else. That is all.

  18. 33
    sultan Says:

    I’d love to live there. Just take down the crosses or replace them with something more fitting to myself. Great reworking of the existing layout.

  19. 32
    Tam Says:

    It would indeed take a very self confident and self “comfortable” person to live in this space. The stained glass windows remind me of jewelry for a very clean lined white dress.

  20. 31
    Support this story on Stirrdup Says:

    A Chapel Converted Into a Modern Apartment…

    This story has been submitted to Stirrdup. Your support can help it become hot….

  21. 30
    I Want To Buy A Church Now | position: absolute Says:

    [...] a look at this: freshome features a beautiful architectural feat by Netherlands-based Zecc: the interior redesign of a church into a modern home. Now I’m not much of a church-goer (quite the opposite, actually), but I certainly [...]

  22. 29
    jk Says:

    Looks like a web 2.0 site.

  23. 28
    Quixion Says:

    Oh, so nice. I would move in there in a heart beat. So modern, so stylish. It’s great that they are able to keep legacy buildings from being torn down, even if it means remodeling them. In the end it’s not really important, but kind of nice to keep that sort of heritage around even in an altered state.

  24. 27
    Roel Says:

    Normal modus operandi is that the Church converts people.

  25. 26
    subcorpus Says:

    very nicely done …
    i think i CAN live there … i dont have a problem with converted churches and mosques …
    i grew up very close to one … so its kinda home …
    and the pics above … the place look so spacious …

  26. 25
    Joe Says:

    Oh my God (quite literally)… We’ve become totally obsessed with renovations and turning everything into “a block of stylish new apartments”.

    This just goes over the tipping point. It’s all very well if the building was falling apart, but I don’t think the furnishings are in keeping at all.

    Another “nail in the coffin” for building heritage (sorry about the bad joke)…

  27. 24
    - - Latforums Says:

    [...] – Šodien, 14:14 - A Chapel Converted Into a Modern Apartment – ! [...]

  28. 23
    Vlad Balan Says:

    Who would want to live in a place like that?

  29. 22
    Jen Says:

    With all due respect and all compliments aside, who besides a minister would want to live in a very apparantly converted chapel. No sir, not I.

  30. 21
    louish Says:

    I dont think I would of kept the crosses, but im sure they were trying to keep the original aspect of things. I just think it looks silly… “Wow, look at this awesome apartment and…. huh. whats that cross doing there?”

    I love the all white though, Ive always wanted to do that.

  31. 20
    matt Says:

    So these people live in a set from THX1138?

  32. 19
    Alexander Says:

    Wow, imagine the parties you could have there!

  33. 18
    meneame.net Says:

    Iglesia convertida en Apartamento "cool"…

    ZECC Architects ha realizado una reforma total de una iglesia para poder entrar a vivir como si de un apartamento cualquiera se tratara. Fotos del "Antes" y el "Después"…

  34. 17
    soheicube linkpost Says:

    スタイリッシュなマンションに改装されたチャペル…

    A Chapel Converted Into a Modern Apartment [via Digg]
    ……

  35. 16
    Stu Foster Says:

    My kind of place.

  36. 15
    A Chapel Converted Into a Modern Apartment [ Pics ] « The Bradley Blog Says:

    [...] read more | digg story Posted by bradalex4 Filed in Uncategorized [...]

  37. 14
    Damjan Mozetič Says:

    Great looking, but i’d definitely trash the crosses if I were to live in there ;)

  38. 13
    Sandeep Says:

    Nice job….

    Can i get to know that how much money was spent while doing so…….

  39. 12
    Mike Says:

    I’m not sure why they kept that cross in there.

    wouldn’t that appeal mostly to Christians ?

  40. 11
    evan Says:

    where’s the bed/bedroom?

  41. 10
    lyallstyle Says:

    i think this idea is a bit sad, but very cool anyways. i think it would be a cool idea to think that you are living in Gods house.

    “I don’t think I could keep it up if I were to make love to my wife, seeing all the crosses.”

    Alex Ion- i don’t mean to be rude but i think that is a silly thing to say. i can understand your feelings, but i think that God loves it when a married couple makes love. He did say “be fruitfull and multiply”. on the other hand, having sex with anyone but your spouse would be very awkward, and rightly so. however having said that, i guess it might be a bit tough to keep it up when dwelling of the crucifixion (crosses).

  42. 9
    igor Says:

    Cool. I really like the black staircase with the stairs attached to the wall on just one side.

  43. 8
    Rae Says:

    Not to my taste at all. It has lost all of its charm with the conversion to modern architecture. Those beautiful stained glass windows look so out of place, and the organ looks rediculous.

  44. 7
    Bryan Says:

    hahahaha…. hopefully someday all churches will undergo such a transformation from being a place of indoctrination to fornication… Religion is bust!

  45. 6
    druida Says:

    seeing for the second time, i’m not sure if i like the contrast between the windows and the rest of the “house”, bc it’s all so minimalistic

  46. 5
    Kikades » Blog Archive » Oh, my God! Una iglesia convertida en vivienda Says:

    [...] Fuente | FreshHome [...]

  47. 4
    ABZ Says:

    OMG this is so cool and neat, not so sure that i would want to live there but it is very cool

  48. 3
    lis Says:

    I think it’s beautiful! Not sure if it “my taste”, but I think they did a stunning job with it. :)

    I’ve always wanted to live in a converted church… something about the space, the shape, and the windows.

  49. 2
    druida Says:

    it’s really great the work they’ve done…but i don’t know if i could live there :s!

  50. 1
    Alex Ion Says:

    I don’t think I could keep it up if I were to make love to my wife, seeing all the crosses.

    It’s good looking though :)

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