St. Mauritius Church, constructed in response to growing congregations in the 1960s, initially began as a simple tent structure and gradually developed into a permanent building in the course of broader societal transformations. Today, however, the church is confronted with an opposing trend: declining membership and a reduced demand for ecclesiastical space. While society has continuously evolved, the architecture of the church has remained a snapshot of its time of origin—an edifice in stasis. With our project, we reintroduce movement into this space. At times, that which appears immobile can, in fact, be transformed. The design proposes a situational and fragmentary approach to the existing structure. The airspace is reimagined as a lived space. Through this process of transformation, a house for female circus artists emerges. The church forms part of an urban ensemble in which diverse building functions are arranged along a central axis of movement. This axis connects green spaces from east to west, creating a vibrant and highly frequented environment.

The central atrium constitutes the most public area of the ensemble and is activated by a café and a canteen. A large swing installation offers the public a playful point of entry into the world of acrobatics. The former parish center is converted into a rehearsal space with an integrated water basin, while the church space to the south becomes both an arena and a training area for acrobates. A suspended circulation structure within the church makes the vertical volume accessible and serves as a launch point for trapeze, rope, and aerial silk performers.

Lightweight insertions densify the side aisles and create new programmatic zones. The arena connects, via shared corner spaces, to the more private areas of the building, which accommodate sleeping quarters and sanitary facilities. Externally, the building is extended by an open winter garden element that functions as a circulation space. This addition dissolves the introverted character of the existing façade and establishes a dialogue with the surrounding orchard meadow. A house in motion.