Title

Author(s)

Maya Weber

Affiliation

WEBER.ARCHITEKTUR

DOI

https://doi.org/10.65686/ZEQJ4859

Keywords

Mortuary Chapel, Community Center, Cemetery Architecture

PP

1004-1011

How to Cite

Weber, Maya. “Adaptive Reuse of a Historic Mortuary Chapel in Dresden.” In Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Reuse. Volume 1, edited by Andrea Crudeli, Francesca Molle, and Emanuele Carrai, 1004–1011. Firenze: STH Press, 2026.

Abstract

Historic cemetery buildings have increasingly lost their original function as burial and mourning practices change, leaving many structures neglected or threatened with demolition. Adaptive reuse offers the opportunity not only to preserve these monuments but also to reposition cemeteries as accessible and socially relevant public spaces. This paper exemplifies the transformation of cemetery culture through the adaptive reuse of the former mortuary chapel at Dresden’s Trinitatis Cemetery by the author. Erected in 1843 for public viewings, the chapel became obsolete in the 20th century and fell into severe disrepair. Its conversion into a community center and café involved a careful process of defining a new program, removing interior partitions to establish a unified spatial experience, and opening the façades toward the street and cemetery entrance. New wooden structures update the building’s new purpose, remaining distinct from the historic fabric and allowing the monument to be reactivated as a vibrant public space.

Edited by
Andrea Crudeli
Francesca Molle
Emanuele Carrai

Publisher
STH Press, Firenze

ISBN Paperback – 9791281661141
ISBN Ebook – 9791281661158
DOI – https://doi.org/10.65686/SISY7263

Year
2026

Proceedings of
International Conference on Adaptive Reuse
hosted by The University of Pisa, Italy
15-19 September 2025, at the Gispoteca di Arte Antica dell’Università di Pisa.