Reconstruction / Expansion

Religious buildings are expanded or reconstructed while still in religious usage.

As part of transformative processes within a congregation (e.g. growth of congregation) and changes of the socio-cultural situation into which the buildings are located, the opportunity or need to reconstruct or expand the religious gathering space arises. Typical reconstructions are e.g. the integration of community space into the religious building. When it comes to mosques, there are many cases that report of an addition of minarets afterwards. There also are religious groups that need to expand their buildings due to an increase of members. The building might then be reconstructed partly or expanded by an extension to create new rooms.

Expansions and reconstructions often happen within the congregational context. If a building is reconstructed and repurposed, e.g. as a restaurant, then we speak of a conversion.