When a church is no longer used as a place of worship, a desanctification ritual is performed to render the space a “regular” building. Then, the building is sold and transformed into whatever the owner wants — a home, a bookstore, a Dunkin Donuts, anything. Despite this de-churching process, a church will always feel like a church, so it’s an odd thrill to walk into a “bar,” order a beer, and realize you’re surrounded by gorgeous stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings. After the jump, we’ve gathered photos of eight repurposed churches around the world. Check ’em out, and hit the comments to let us know what you think.
The Church Brew — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania [via]
The Selexyz Dominicanen bookstore — Maastricht, Netherlands [via]
Pitcher & Piano pub — Nottingham, England [via]
The Church nightclub — Denver, Colorado [via]
Church of Living converted home — Utrecht, Netherlands [via]
The Church Bar — Dublin, Ireland [via]
Mad River bar — Charleston, South Carolina [via]
Dunkin Donuts — Toms River, New Jersey [via]