Many religions still have music and dance at their core. We’re used to the pipe organ playing, choruses, the pace of prayer… But it may be a shock for us to go into a church once night has fallen to order a drink and listen to music, anything from classical fare to electronica.
That is exactly the case at the old Church of St. Joseph in Milan, a coffee shop/nightclub called Il Gattopardo. In 2001, it started to be used as a coffee shop/nightclub. If this seems interesting, it’s because of how the old temples were acoustically designed so that the sound travels easily. This lets the music – regardless of genre – reach every corner of the room.
But St. Joseph’s isn’t the only example, just one of the most notable. We found another in England, where a lovely abandoned church in Leeds had been used for years as an illegal rave under the name Halo. A businessman invested thousands of pounds in renovating the structure, and now it is a live music club (below) where historical heritage is cared for and gets a second life.