Kerken met toekomst Diest

In 2018, the Church Policy Plan for the parishes within the city of Diest was published. It outlined future uses and functions for each of the city’s church buildings. That future was categorised into four possible directions: valorisation, shared use, secondary use (nevenbestemming), and full repurposing. The policy plan established a framework to guide this search for new roles for church buildings; one that explicitly calls for public input and participation from the wider local community. Any proposed shift in function should go beyond the church itself and consider the broader spatial and societal context: missing functions in the area, mobility issues, and synergies with existing local infrastructure.

In 2021, the City of Diest commissioned a feasibility study for six specific churches, building upon the foundations laid by the 2018 plan. These churches were: Sint-Engelbertuskerk (Deurne), O.-L.-Vrouwkerk (Diest), Sint-Trudokerk (Webbekom), H. Familiekerk (Vleugt), Heilig Kind Jezuskerk (Kaggevinne) and Sint-Jozefkerk (Molenstede). The assignment consisted of two parts: first, an analysis of each building’s strengths and weaknesses; then, for three selected churches, a follow-up design study exploring possibilities for secondary or new uses.

Archivolt and Marge intentionally devoted significant attention to this initial analysis phase. In repurposing studies, it is especially important that proposed uses are deeply embedded in both the spatial and social fabric surrounding the church. That begins with a thorough understanding of the existing context. Phase 1 included: extensive site visits and measurements for all six churches, archival research, a historical report with landscape and architectural evolution maps, inventories of current use, spatial analyses (e.g. daylight access, accessibility, fire safety compliance), assessments of building condition, and evaluations of connectivity at both the micro (paths, entrances) and macro level (road access, tourist routes, public transport). A contextual function map was also created to identify key local amenities and services.

The results of this research, in close consultation with and with input from the respective church boards, were summarised in six SWOT tables. These helped the city and the boards select the three churches to move forward with. Phase 1 is now complete. Phase 2 is underway, beginning with a participatory process: the formation of local working groups for each selected church, composed of residents, associations, and volunteers, who will jointly explore future uses.

The reports from Phase 1 are publicly available at: https://diest.be/kerkenmettoek...