History
The 13th-century Dominican Church in Maastricht, the first Gothic church in the Low Countries, is a remarkable building, not only for its unique history (consider the many functions the building has served), but also for its ceiling and wall paintings, which are of exceptional art historical value.
In 1261, the Dominicans were granted permission to establish a monastery in Maastricht. They built a monastery and church on the site where the Entre Deux shopping center is now located, and remained in the old city of Maastricht for five centuries. On November 4, 1794, the French army captured the city, and in 1795, it was annexed by the French Republic. This marked the end of the history of this religious mendicant order in Maastricht. The church was used as a stable by the French cavalry.
In the two centuries that followed, the building served, among other things, as a warehouse for the city, concert hall, car showroom, slaughterhouse, snake house, boxing arena, bicycle storage, and (children's) carnival venue. Many people from Maastricht remember it as the place where they first kissed.
In 2006, the Dominican Church found its new purpose as a quality bookstore. The architectural firm Merkx + Girod designed and oversaw, after the extensive restoration of the monument, the interior of the bookstore with 1200m2 of retail space, while only 850m2 of floor space was available. The architects wanted to emphasize the height and space of Gothic architecture. They saw the solution in a monumental walk-in bookcase with multiple floors, asymmetrically placed in the church. Visitors are led to the top floor of this "steel book skyscraper." Climbing it has been turned into an experience and a journey of discovery.