Building on Church: Future and Community in Christ the King Church
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Building on Church: New Perspectives for Sacred Spaces
Where once services were celebrated, a space opens up for the future, encounters, and societal ideas. The exhibition Building on Church – Cultural House Ruhr invites you on November 7, 2026, to Christ the King Church in Bochum and connects architecture, spirituality, and the question of the continued existence of church spaces.
Architecture as a Faith Experience and Societal Dialogue
30 architecture graduates from TU Dortmund present their master's theses on the repurposing of five churches in Essen, Bochum, and Wattenscheid. Plans, models, and visualizations show how familiar sacred spaces can transform into new places for movement, art, knowledge, and encounters.
The Atmosphere of the Christ the King Church
The Christ the King Church itself becomes an impressive exhibition space. Light, spatial proportions, materials, and the history of the building form the starting point for the presented designs. The exhibition makes it tangible how religious architecture can maintain its identity while also taking on new societal tasks.
From Church Space to Cultural House
The concepts range from studios under vaults and movement spaces in the nave to libraries, stages, baths, and walk-in data centers. The focus is on the principle of building on: existing qualities are not erased but carefully developed further. This creates an expert dialogue about renovation culture, theology of the place, the common good, and the future of churches in the Ruhr area.
Opening Hours and Exhibition Duration
The exhibition can be seen from November 7 to December 13, 2026. Visits take place on Wednesdays from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM and Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Admission is free.
The exhibition is a cooperative project of Baukultur Nordrhein-Westfalen and the Chair of Massive Building Constructions at TU Dortmund. It is aimed at architecture enthusiasts, parishioners, cultural creators, and anyone interested in the future of religious spaces.
Conclusion
Visitors can expect a calm, inspiring, and simultaneously future-oriented religious experience between church space, architecture, and social change. Those who want to see how new community spaces grow from history will discover concrete ideas and strong images for the future of the church at Building on Church – Cultural House Ruhr.
