An analogous approach to the churches conservation problem

Abstract

This paper traces the figure of the analogy throughout philosophy and twentieth century architecture, in order to come up with a refreshing new tackling of the adaptive reuse of non-listed church buildings in Flanders. After a general outline of the church building's problem in Flanders, the classical analogy and the shift it experienced via Nietzsche's thinking are considered. Next, with Riegl's very Nietzschean 1903 text on monuments as an anchor point, the strengths and weaknesses of the analogy's appreciation by twentieth century architects and critics are pointed out, with the intention to gradually build a truly postmodern analogy (between meanings) in a way that would suit Nietzsche's cultural philosophy. The general outlines of what a postmodern analogy could imply for the numerous non-listed church buildings in Flanders are put forward in the final conclusion.