Odile told us, what became a lot of places of worship in Holland, astonishing !
Maastritcht is one of the oldest cities in Holland. It is located south near the Belgian border and is characterized by its medieval architecture.
The Meuse cuts the city in two.In the center, there is a beautiful Dominican Gothic church converted into a bookstore restaurant.
The Netherlands is the nation of Europe that has transformed the most churches into something else than what they were built for.
Exhibition or concert halls, bookshops, nightclubs, trampoline spaces, etc.
The Dutch less and less believers but still attached to their belfry transform ancient places of worship.
There is no limit or taboo and the idea is old.In 1966, 33% of the population of the Netherlands did not declare any religious ties.
They were 68% in 2015. Who was going to maintain all these religious buildings?
The Dutch have sought concrete solutions.In Maastritcht, two architects Merkx and Girod transformed a 13th century Dominican church into a coffee shop in a very contemporary style.
Internal and external structures have been preserved. As the church’s surface was not very important, the architects created a series of three-story libraries. Old religious motifs have been preserved and incorporated into the new design.
The contrast between the character of the old church and that of the layout of the modern structure is prodigious.
The Boekhandel Dominicanan was inaugurated in 2006.
The two architects won the first prize in a competition in 2008 and their architectural design was voted “the most beautiful in the world” by the English newspaper The Gardian.
The bookshop welcomes 700,000 visitors a year and you can drink your coffee on a ceramic table in the shape of a cross.1 in PortoA neo Gothic and Art Nouveau blend2 in Buénos Airés
The bookshop is located in an old theater of the early 20th century.
It has retained its cachet, its decor and armchairs in which one can sit comfortably to read all the afternoon.3 in Mexico4 in Luxembourg5 in BostonAn open bookstore, there are new and used books
Posted: by william 
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