Modul 28 transforms fortified church in Transylvania into guesthouse

Romanian studio Modul 28 has updated and extended the rectory of a church in Transylvania, transforming it into a guesthouse that "balances preservation with innovation".

Located in the village of Curciu, the building was renovated as part of an initiative led by the Fortified Churches Foundation, which exists to preserve the region's large number of fortified churches dating from the 13th to 16th centuries.

Rather than turn these sites into museums, the programme looks to introduce "contemporary functions" that will reintegrate them with the surrounding communities, Modul 28 said.

At this site in Curciu, the studio has converted the adjacent rectory and chapel into a guesthouse, while the large church at the centre of the site remains open to the public.

"The initiative is based on the belief that turning heritage buildings into museums does not serve their long-term wellbeing, especially in the case of secondary importance constructions such as annexes," said architect Andra Nicoleanu.

"The design process for this project could be characterised by a meticulous approach that balances preservation with innovation, drawing inspiration from the historical and architectural context of the site," she told Dezeen.

A series of minimal and reversible alterations were made to the existing rectory, creating space for a double bedroom alongside a kitchen and dining area.

Projecting out of the site's boundary wall, the polygonal apse of the former chapel now houses the main living area. Three gothic windows surrounding this space, which had been partially destroyed, have been restored with thin-profile metal frames.

The old rectory has been replastered and its doorways and window shutters have been updated with pale wood, contrasting the rough masonry exterior of the chapel and the gatehouse.

"Our proposal, especially for exterior interventions, emphasises reversibility and the temporary nature by utilising lightweight materials, namely wood and metal inserts," explains Nicoleanu.

"Essentially, this approach serves as an exercise in contemporary materiality, contributing to the contrast between what already exists and what is currently being constructed," she added.

A temporary, pavilion-like timber structure tucked between the guesthouse and the site's external wall provides bathrooms, with a shower lined with yellow corrugated metal.

"The most significant gesture in the design was perhaps the decision to add a temporary construction to the exterior, that arises from the desire not to alter the volume of the interior spaces," said Nicoleanu. "Although it fits contextually, in terms of plan resolution and resulting image, it stands out through contrast."

Another recent project involving renovations of historic church buildings include the repair of a 12th-century structure in Slovenia by local practice Medprostor, designed as a space "between a ruin and a reconstruction".

In London, Tigg + Coll Architects converted an abandoned mission church into its own workspace and, on the Isle of Sheppey, Hugh Broughton Architects transformed a 19th-century church into a community hub.

The photography is by Vlad Pătru.

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