At the historic site of Herkenrode Abbey in Hasselt, capital of Limburg Province, construction of the new Clausura artwork is nearing completion. The artwork forms a replica of the church that once stood on this spot until it burned down 200 years ago. This week, the tower was erected, the final sections were welded together, allowing the final finishing touches to be added to Gijs Van Vaerenbergh’s transparent church. Clausura opens its doors to the public at large this summer.
‘Transparent’ church at Herkenrode Abbey set to attract thousands of visitors from the summer
Colin Clapson
Published:
The new church is exactly the same size as the original church built in Herkenrode 500 years ago. Only this time, the church will be made of steel rather than stone. The transparent or see-through church is set to become a tourist attraction next summer.
The structure measures 120 metres by 70 metres. It covers not only the church's framework but also other neighbouring buildings.
“The church will rise again on exactly the same foundations and on exactly the same scale as the church that burned down,” explains Matthias Francken, director at heritage management organisation Herita. “It is a fantastic project and a very large one. The church is 70 metres long and at its highest point over 50 metres. After a great deal of research, we have been able to create an exact replica of what once stood there.”
Another transparent church for Limburg
The architects carried out their research using old architectural drawings and engravings dating from the 18th century. For architects Arnout Van Vaerenbergh and Pieter-Jan Gijs this is not their first challenge in transparent architecture. The duo earlier came to prominence thanks to their transparent church in Borgloon (Tongeren-Borgloon – Limburg) and received the commission to design a second transparent church, this time in Herkenrode.
“Admittedly, that was a project on a different scale, but it is clear that they possess a great deal of craftsmanship,” Francken continued. “They have also found the necessary people who can apply the techniques required, including the welding.”
The design of the foundations also required a great deal of research and was complicated by the presence of archaeological finds in the ground. In November last year, the first element of the large transparent church was installed.
The iron bars used in the artwork are 8 centimetres thick at the base, 6 centimetres at their midpoint and 4 centimetres at the top. "These are bars made of Corten steel," explains project leader Filip Van Riet (TM AREL – Van Eycken). "This material has the property of rusting, thereby protecting itself against oxidation."
Expected to attract many tourists this summer
VISITFLANDERS and heritage management organisation Herita hope this monumental structure will attract large numbers of visitors from this summer onwards. “When you’re inside the church, it has a ‘wow’ factor, but it also creates a special effect when viewed from a distance,” says Van Riet. “However, if you stand too close to the work, it looks like a bit of a jumble. In short, it’s a work of art to wander around in.”
The bigger picture
The transparent church cost around 2.5 million euros. It’s an investment shared by the Province of Limburg and the Flemish government. Construction of the see-through church is not yet finished; it will take Clausura another two years for the entire project to be completed. A natural grassland landscape still needs to be created around the construction.
The Flemish government has allocated 5 million euros for the total renovation cost of the Herkenrode site. The project that includes renovation work on the abbey buildings will take around 10 years.
Herkenrode Abbey as it once was
The abbey was founded at the end of the 12th century and was one of the first women’s abbeys or nunneries in the Low Countries. The Cistercian nuns provided a home for enterprising and devout women and developed it into one of the wealthiest women’s abbeys in the Low Countries. It became a popular destination for pilgrims. As they also managed to acquire a great deal of land in the surrounding area, the religious community soon grew into an important economic and secular power.