The opening ceremony of the Nieuwe Kerk Zierikzee has been performed by mr. Pieter van Vollenhoven on the 9th of April 2014. Prior to refurbishment the monumental church building has been completely restored and now functions as a multifunctional event space.
With a collection of clever yet simple interventions the interior of the church contributes to the church square in Zierikzee and works to strengthen the town as the cultural access to the island of Schouwen-Duiveland. GROUP A’s design for the interior of the church connects this church square with the interior through a ‘red carpet’ principle. Outside this has been realised by projecting images onto the square while inside a new poured plastic floor runs all the way through the centre of the church interior.
In this way the linear character of the church has been used as binding element to enhance the position of the Nieuwe Kerk. Inside, an elegant box has been added, housing the ticket sale, toilets, bar, kitchen and storage space. A semi concealed staircase leads visitors up to the balcony from which you have an exclusive view onto the event floor and out through the high church windows. A motorised truss-system, flexible stage decks and interchangeable wings have prepared the church for the widest range possible of theatre shows and events.
To create a truly flexible event space the existing historical church benches, for the orphans and the poor, have been shortened. In this way their character remains while creating a much more spacious entrance next to ‘the Gallery’. Two sets of transparent draught lobbies have been added to the interior to be able to keep the monumental entrance doors hospitably open. The organ, the marquise benches and the pulpit remain as strong references to the original function of the building.
The new poured epoxy resin floor down the middle of the church makes room for the monumental gravestones at the sides while providing the opportunity to install an efficient floor heating system. Underneath the floor of the Gallery’s balcony ventilation shafts provide fresh air transported through the attic. The low temperature floor heating system uses preheated air from under the dark slate roof where it is led through a heat exchanger to benefit from the heat already present in the attic.
The ‘red carpet’ and the Gallery, both in the same colour, form a strong new gesture without overpowering the existing monumental interior of the church. In this way the church is ready for the future with a rich and varied program of cultural events.
