Feasibility Study of monumental church.

The church council initiated a feasibility study to explore the potential future uses of the church building, in light of declining church attendance and increasing maintenance and renovation costs.

While there was a strong need to find a compatible alternative function, the council also wished to continue holding church services — such as weddings and funerals — because of the building’s (emotional) significance to the neighborhood. Preserving the spatial experience of the church, the listed organ and sightlines was a key requirement to be integrated into the feasibility study.

The feasibility study was carried out in several phases, with the client’s input and evaluations integrated step by step. The brainstorming phase included an urban-analytical and design-based program study. This was followed by a scenario phase, in which the proposed programs were linked to a market consultation. Finally, the preferred scenarios were tested through a cost-benefit analysis.

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The feasibility study was completed at the end of June 2016 and has been included as a pilot project in the broader study by the Flemish government aimed at developing a repurposing strategy for the approximately 1,800 'vacant' churches in Flanders.