Quote from Alex bobby on April 19, 2025, 4:40 AM

Holy Water: Dutch Architects Turn Historic Church Into a Pool Where You Can “Walk on Water”

In a bold blend of reverence and reinvention, two Dutch architecture studios, MVRDV and Zecc Architecten, have revealed plans to transform a nearly century-old church into a stunning public swimming pool — complete with stained-glass reflections and lifeguards perched in the pulpit.

Set in the city of Heerlen in the southern Netherlands, this unconventional project, aptly titled Holy Water, will take over the nave of the former St. Francis of Assisi Church, a 1923 structure that has stood empty for two years. But rather than allowing the building to decay or turning it into yet another museum or boutique hotel, the architects have dreamt up something far more imaginative: a public swimming pool with an ethereal twist.

“Imagine swimming the backstroke with a view of a church vault and stained-glass windows,” said MVRDV’s founding partner Winy Maas. That experience will soon be a reality.

From Sacred to Splash Zone

What makes Holy Water so fascinating is not just the unusual juxtaposition of sacred and recreational space, but the reverent way the architects have approached the conversion. The pool is no ordinary basin—it has an adjustable floor, meaning the water level can be changed or hidden entirely, making the church adaptable for events or social gatherings. In its most magical setting, a thin layer of water can cover the entire nave floor, giving visitors the illusion of walking on water.

“By covering the entire pool area with a small layer of water, you can also create a beautiful visual effect,” explains Maas. “It allows the church to return to its original form and appear even larger and more impressive through the reflection.”

This feature speaks volumes about the project’s dual intent: preserving the past while opening up new possibilities for public use.

Baptising the Old with the New

MVRDV and Zecc Architecten are no strangers to bold architectural statements, and in Holy Water, they strike a delicate balance between conservation and creativity. Much of the church’s original design remains untouched: the vaulted ceilings will continue to soar overhead, casting shadows and refracting sunlight through stained-glass windows. But within this sacred shell, the design introduces playful and functional new elements.

Old church pews will be reimagined as poolside loungers and café seating, while the former pulpit—once a place for sermons—will now serve as the lifeguard’s perch. Visitors can roam the aisles and look down into the water through arched windows, with changing rooms and a café nestled in the rear.

A unique mosaic floor will complete the transformation, created in collaboration with local artists and celebrating Heerlen’s dynamic mural culture. The design is not just a facelift—it’s a tribute to the church’s heritage and the city’s artistic soul.

Design with a Conscience

Naturally, converting a historic place of worship into a modern swimming facility comes with technical and ethical challenges. How do you warm a cavernous stone structure sustainably? How do you preserve its delicate details while ensuring it meets the practical needs of public use?

The architects have opted for smart, low-impact solutions: compartmentalising parts of the interior with transparent glass walls, fitting insulation from the outside to avoid damaging historic interiors, and hiding heating and ventilation systems discreetly in the basement. Even the church’s original roof will be maintained, enhanced with sound-absorbing panels to manage acoustics in a space not originally designed for splashing children.

The result is a project that feels less like a takeover and more like a respectful evolution—a modern baptism of space, if you will.

A New Social Sanctuary

Beyond its aesthetic and architectural innovation, Holy Water speaks to a larger trend in urban design: the adaptive reuse of sacred spaces. Across Europe, church attendance is dwindling, and many religious buildings stand vacant. Rather than allowing these sites to fall into disrepair or become sterile relics, projects like Holy Water breathe new life into them.

Maas puts it succinctly: “The vacancy rate of churches is increasing, so we need to come up with new, creative ideas for what we can do with these buildings. Why not give these churches a social function again, as they used to have? A public swimming pool is ideally suited for this.”

By turning a spiritual space into a community oasis, MVRDV and Zecc Architecten are not just preserving history—they’re reimagining it, making it interactive and inclusive.

Coming Soon to a Church Near You?

While Holy Water remains in the design and planning phase, the pool is expected to open its doors (and water) in 2027. When it does, visitors will not just be dipping their toes into chlorinated water—they’ll be plunging into a conversation about heritage, innovation, and the power of design to connect past and present.

Until then, it’s a compelling reminder that architecture can still surprise us, even in the most unexpected places.