Overview

Abstract

For repurposing to be salient as a major national movement, we must counter the human fascination with replacing the old with the new, as if there is an inherent value in this action. Repurposing may be a concept readers are well familiar with and integral to their daily life. Repurposing as a strategy, versus tearing down, may not be viewed as a practical choice, as in the case of Hitler’s birthplace in Braunau, Austria, for example. In 2023, this “house of evil,” after multiple decades of debate, was to be repurposed into a police station, causing a negative response from those wishing to keep it as is or to have it house social service programming. It is fair to say that most of us will not be confronted with this type of decision-making. Repurposing church buildings is not a recent phenomenon. Indeed, most Catholic churches in Rome, Italy, were the result of repurposing ancient Roman buildings. What goes around comes around!