Building the Church: Community, Architecture, and Future in Bochum
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Building the Church: Experience Future Ideas in Sacred Spaces
Where church services were once held, a special place for reflection, encounters, and new perspectives is being created. The exhibition Building the Church – Ruhr Cultural House invites you to explore the future of church spaces with all your senses and engage in discussions about their societal significance in the Christ King Church in Bochum.
Architecture, Spirituality, and Social Change
The focus is on 30 master's theses by architecture graduates from TU Dortmund. They develop new usage ideas for five churches in Bochum, Wattenscheid, and Essen, whose liturgical use has ended or is facing significant changes. The designs combine architectural expertise with questions of community, memory, and public life.
Plans, Models, and Visions for New Church Spaces
Plans, models, and visualizations show how existing sacred buildings can become new places for art, movement, knowledge, and encounters. The concepts range from studios under arches and movement spaces in the nave to libraries, stages, baths, and walkable data centers. The proportions of the spaces, light, materiality, and the history of the churches remain important reference points.
A Faith Experience Between Memory and New Beginnings
The Christ King Church itself becomes a vivid example of the transformation of church architecture. Since 1998, it has not been used for church services. Its special atmosphere, traces of religious past, and the new designs create a quiet, inspiring environment for a religious experience beyond classical liturgy. Visitors encounter questions of preservation, change, and the future of communal spaces.
Exhibition in Bochum on Saturday
On Saturday, November 28, 2026, the exhibition will be open from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Admission is free. Interested individuals from Bochum, the Ruhr area, and beyond will gain insights into current renovation culture and how churches can continue to exist as open cultural houses.
The exhibition is a collaborative project of Baukultur Nordrhein-Westfalen and the Chair of Massive Construction at TU Dortmund. It builds on the impulses of Manifesta 16 Ruhr and makes visible the future potential of existing church spaces.
Conclusion: Rediscover Sacred Spaces
The exhibition connects architecture, theology, memory culture, and social responsibility into an impressive faith experience. Those who want to see how new places for community and culture arise from church history will find inspiring models and strong visions for the future in the Christ King Church.
