Raum für neue Wege I Kirche weiterdenken

As part of World Design Capital 2026 and the “Future City Centre” funding programme, the Sacred Heart Church (Herz-Jesu-Kirche) in Kelsterbach opens its doors as a place for dialogue, imagination, and collective exploration. The project responds to a question that many church buildings are facing today: what role can these spaces play in the future, and how can they continue to serve society?

Together with residents, experts, and curious participants, the church becomes a testing ground for new ideas. Under the title “Space for New Paths | Rethinking the Church”, a programme of cultural events, a summer workshop, and a participatory art installation invites people to explore new possibilities for the future use of sacred spaces. Developed and coordinated by ProjektStadt | Integrated Urban Development, the programme seeks to uncover how church buildings can evolve into vibrant places for culture, community, and everyday encounters.

The programme begins with a Building Culture Workshop organised by the Hessian Initiative for Building Culture. As churches have long been places of gathering and social infrastructure within towns and neighbourhoods, the workshop explores how they might continue to fulfil this role in the future. Discussions focus on how social, environmental, and design-related challenges can be brought together to create sustainable and meaningful new uses.

Building on these conversations, the summer workshop invites residents, professionals, and interested participants to think creatively about the future of church spaces. Through discussions, hands-on activities, and collaborative design processes, participants will share perspectives, identify opportunities, and develop visions for what these spaces could become. The central question is not only what functions a church building might accommodate, but also which qualities of atmosphere, identity, and belonging should be preserved, strengthened, or reimagined.

Accompanying the programme throughout the year is a cultural series and a participatory art installation that transforms the church into a space for experience, reflection, and exchange. Together, they make visible the ideas, conversations, and aspirations that emerge along the way, demonstrating how a place rooted in history can open itself to new possibilities for the future.

We are particularly honoured that the programme will be officially opened by the Hessian Minister for Economic Affairs, Kaweh Mansoori.

Hessisches Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Stadt Kelsterbach, ProjektStadt I Integrierte Stadtentwicklung, Pfarrei Herz Jesu, Landesinitiative für Baukultur HesseProjektStadt | Integrierte Stadtentwicklung is the project developer and project manager for the project "Raum für neue Wege | Kirche weiterdenken" - Herz Jesu Church Kelsterbach