Gijs Van Vaerenbergh Rebuilds Lost Abbey Church as Steel Sculpture in Belgium

Belgian design studio Gijs Van Vaerenbergh has unveiled CLAUSURA, a life-size steel sculpture tracing the footprint of the vanished 16th-century church at Herkenrode Abbey in Hasselt, Belgium. The abbey was founded in the late 12th century by Count Gerard van Loon and later became the first Cistercian convent for women. Its Gothic church, added during the 16th century under Prince Bishop Evrard van der Marck, was destroyed by fire in 1826. The site later housed factories and private homes before being reacquired by a religious organization in the 1970s. Heritage organization Herita is leading the restoration. CLAUSURA, built in three phases, uses slender steel rods to evoke the original structure's windows, vaults, and towers. The first phase opens to the public on June 18. The studio, founded by Pieterjan Gijs and Arnout Van Vaerenbergh, is known for architectural interventions that explore spatial experience.