Christian Churches – A continuum through adaptive reuse

The talk explores the Adaptive Reuse and Revitalization of Christian Religious Architecture by diverse faiths. These heritage spaces are transformed layer by layer and are adapted to the religious practices of the new inhabitants. The “original,” however, is largely evident and co-exists symbiotically with the “altered.” Interventions are made mostly to the interior of these spaces and the new occupants grapple with a form that does not necessarily align with their religious practices. Explored using digital photography, the project looks for the essence of the transformation through juxtapositions of architectural elements coupled with the religious and socio-cultural practices of the new inhabitants. The images explore a sampling of churches that have been converted to mosques and temples across Ontario and Quebec and question if these transformations are really decolonization or do they perpetuate a continuum of colonial architectural expression.

The images are a personal reflection on socio-cultural reasons behind these transformations. Capturing layered nuances of cultural memory, religious identity, and community, this series of spatiotemporal architectural images chronicle the current state of transformation of Christian religious architectural heritage in Ontario and Quebec’s ephemeral multicultural diasporic landscape.