Churches as Fourth Places

The exhibition “Churches as Fourth Places: Perspectives from North Rhine-Westphalia” by Baukultur NRW explores the repurposing of sacred buildings threatened by vacancy or demolition. The exhibition will be on view from April 1 to 29, 2026, at St. Boniface Church in Aachen. Through video interviews, the exhibition illustrates the breadth and diversity of the people involved in these repurposing processes, as well as their perspectives. Another focal point of the exhibition is 27 examples of churches in North Rhine-Westphalia that have already been repurposed.

Between 30 and 50 percent of church buildings in Germany will stand vacant in the coming decades. Of the approximately 6,000 churches in North Rhine-Westphalia, up to 3,000 will thus fall out of use. The vacancy and demolition of churches is countered by a societal need for places of social exchange, community, and social identification.

Location: St. Boniface Church, Mataréstraße 12, 52078 Aachen

Opening: April 1, 2026, 6:00 p.m.