From Spiritus Sanctus towards Spiritus Novus: the role of heritage values in the redevelopment of Catholic heritage buildings in Eindhoven and the wider region.

Abstract

Contemporary socio-spatial and demographic dynamics lead to the need to reevaluate the way that urban spaces should be used and designed. Old and vacant buildings are redeveloped to facilitate a new function for future use. However, conservationists argue for the preservation of (archeological) heritage sites, as they are seen as finite resources that are rapidly diminishing. Processes of urban renewal engage in large scale redevelopment projects and because of the scarcity of space, old or empty buildings are often targets for these redevelopment projects. Catholic religious buildings are often centrally located which makes these buildings popular sites for alternative functions and redevelopment projects. While churches as sacred sites can be assets for local communities, adjustments need to be made to keep up with changing social and spatial processes. Finding a balance between the different interests and values in this debate can be difficult. These heritage values are ascribed to an object or building based on the needs and desires of individuals and groups and their current social, economic and cultural situation. To assess the different heritage values in practice, the value-based approach is applied in the case of a redeveloped church and monastery in Eindhoven, the DomusDELA. In the case of the DomusDELA, the tangible values are labeled as cultural-historic values (such as aesthetic & historical aspects) and immaterial or intangible aspects are categorized as social-societal values (such as memories, meaning and experiences).