House In A Church / Ruud Visser Architects

Oct 2010

Uploaded by Andrew Rosenberg — Filed under: Houses ,Refurbishment ,Selected , ROTTERDAM, ruud visser architects, The Netherlands

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Architects: Ruud Visser Architects
Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands
Photographs: René de Wit

Along the river De Rotte in Rotterdam stands a wooden church from 1930. The church was not in function anymore and was used as a garage for fixing and selling cars. The church was totally covered with metal plates and looked like a hangar. At the moment of the pitch, the building was in decline.

Architecture office Ruud Visser in corporation with Peter Boer designed a ‘house in the church’ for a family with two children.

With a volume of 3000 cube, the church is as big as six average family houses. We could just blow up the program for an average family dwelling by six times. Or we could make a house with twenty rooms. But that was not our goal.

Our starting point was to design a ‘luxurious house, of normal measurements’ for a family with two children. This ‘house’ will be situated inside the church as an independent object. Crucial in the design is the space between the house and the church. In this space you will experience the confrontation between the sacred and everyday living. This space is held open so you can actually walk around the house while walking inside the church.

On the back-side of the original church was the choir. A smaller and lower volume than the actual church. With its back facade directly situated on the bank of the river De Rotte. The original volume of the choir is replaced by a modern volume, with the same measurements but much shorter and with the back facade completely out of glass. The formerly ‘transept’ of the church (cross-ship) is laid open now. And is designed as an immense void, where the whole original church can be seen. The new glass-façade opens the church to the river and gives a magnificent view off the landscape. The transept now functions as a buffer between the outside and the private house.

The glass-façade with the huge sliding-doors, the white frame of steal and the moveable blinds in the back-façade, make a striking look along the river-side.

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

: © René de Wit

* Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.

Cite:
Rosenberg , Andrew . "House In A Church / Ruud Visser Architects" 23 Oct 2010. ArchDaily. Accessed 26 May 2012. <http://www.archdaily.com/83270>

Comments (15)
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leogar says:

very clever reuse of a church.looks very nice.

# October 23, 2010 at 21:36

Linda Metman says:

nice!! hopefully more of these projects will follow with the discussion on reuse and architecture in the netherlands.

# October 24, 2010 at 03:54

bruno says:

don’t like interior church style.

# October 24, 2010 at 04:21

Ruud says:

Hi Bruno, the grey bathroom furniture is not ours. Also the choices of other furniture. The project had to much variables to control everything. So we concentrated on the big lines: staircase, doors and the position of the furniture. We concentrated on place and meisure of the furniture.

Thanks for your reaction.

# October 24, 2010 at 09:19

giordano says:

are u kiddin me? see no bathroom.
actually i mean that arched windows

# October 25, 2010 at 16:42

IN TERMS OF ME says:

The idea of a house in a church is lovely and it looks good too!

# October 24, 2010 at 08:49

the concept is very strong and consistently worked through on all levels.

# October 24, 2010 at 12:08

Adrem says:

Plans?

# October 24, 2010 at 12:18

macon church says:

Great idea and pictures. Thanks for sharing

# October 24, 2010 at 14:35

Dennis says:

well done!

# October 25, 2010 at 05:43

bLogHouse says:

The concept “building within a building” (especially when one is new and the other-existing), is not new but always works well. This case is no exception. The space between the container and the contained is both an exterior and interior and is loaded with significance – a very powerful concept.

# October 25, 2010 at 14:33

Marc says:

I’m a huge fan of houses in churches. I understand the whole idea of placing a box within a box, but I wonder if they haven’t compromised the amazing spacial qualities that the vaulted roof gives. I would celebrate it instead…

# October 26, 2010 at 03:32

sullka says:

Does anyone knows what’s behind the bed?, between the bed and the bath tub?

It looks like a shower (floor pad) but there’s no shower head, faucets or anything…..

# October 28, 2010 at 10:12

Hi Sullka,
In front of the bed is a couch. It’s not finished yet. In the couch is a white closet. Still waiting for cushions. In the white furniture under the two windows is a flat screen television which pops out. On the other side is the bath tub. The wall behind the bath tub is the wall of the shower.

# October 28, 2010 at 14:25

Oscar Gonzalez says: