Rethinking the Danish Medieval Village Church: Borum Church

Abstract

This thesis aims to rethink the Danish medieval village church and investigate the possibilities of adaptive reuse to secure their future use. There is a present issue that lies within a declining use of the rural village churches. At the same time, there is a rising interest in initiating more diverse use of the medieval village churches. However, the medieval churches are under strict conservation legislations that prevents physical changes, as they are a significant part of the Danish cultural heritage. This raised the research question of the thesis: How can a Danish medieval village church adapt to embrace contemporary and future needs to ensure its relevance in modern rural society, where active conservation strategies can accommodate more diverse use while respecting its historical and religious significance and character? Through a thorough architectural and cultural analysis of the Danish medieval church’s history and the building typology, the basilica, a framework for the possibilities of adaptations to medieval village churches are developed. This is created based on the methodology of Rob Roggema’s Research by Design, and sub methods Framework for the Field of Opportunities in relation to the medieval village church by Maj Bjerre Dalsgaard, Søren Vadstrup’s Analysis and Value Assesment of Buildings, and Johannes Exner’s Four Keys. A design proposal of an adaptation of a medieval village church, is created through a chosen case, Borum Church. This aims to show, how a general framework and design principles can be conducted on a specific case. This thesis design case present, how adapting the medieval church based on the basilica typology enables opportunities for new use and physical changes. An adaptation of the church can be done while respecting its special character, heterotopia and historical value. However, as the medieval church, in general, is a protected building, this thesis attempts to respect the conservation with active conservation strategies to ensure its place and function in future society.

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A master programme thesis from Aalborg University

Rethinking the Danish Medieval Village Church: Borum Church - a case