Some places stand out because they offer something you don't see every day. CLAUSURA at Herkenrode Abbey in Hasselt, Belgium, is one of them. The enormous steel structure recreates the outline of a church that disappeared almost 200 years ago, but without rebuilding it in the traditional way. Instead of solid walls, you see a network of thin steel lines that gives the lost building a shape once again.
It reminded us of another unusual place in Limburg: the see-through church in Borgloon, officially called Reading Between the Lines. We had seen that project too, and the connection is easy to recognise. Both were created by Belgian architecture duo Gijs Van Vaerenbergh, who use steel to transform the familiar shape of a church into something quite different. At Herkenrode, the idea is taken to another scale, in a place where the artwork also tells the story of a building that really existed.
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| CLAUSURA by Gijs Van Vaerenbergh recreates the outline of the lost abbey church using a monumental steel framework. |
What Is CLAUSURA at Herkenrode Abbey?
CLAUSURA is a large-scale artwork by Gijs Van Vaerenbergh, commissioned by Herita, the organisation responsible for Herkenrode Abbey. It brings the outline of the vanished church and other lost parts of the abbey back to their original location.
The structure is made from thin Corten steel rods. Together, they trace the forms of the former buildings, including features such as windows, arches and towers. From a distance, the lines come together to form a recognisable architectural shape. Up close, you can see how open the construction really is.
What makes it unusual is that the building is visible without being enclosed. You can look through the steel framework towards the landscape behind it, rather than seeing a solid wall. Depending on where you stand, some details stand out clearly while other lines seem to blend into the background.
CLAUSURA is not meant to pass as a restored medieval church. It shows the form of the lost architecture while making it clear that this is a contemporary artwork. That contrast between old and new is a big part of the project.
The Story Behind the Lost Abbey Church
Herkenrode Abbey was founded at the end of the 12th century and became one of the wealthiest Cistercian women's abbeys in the Low Countries. For centuries, its church and surrounding buildings formed the heart of a large religious community.
Much of that central complex disappeared after a devastating fire destroyed the abbey church in 1826. Over the following years, the site changed further, leaving only parts of the original buildings behind. Sections of the sisters' quarters, the old infirmary and the arcade survived, but the church itself was lost.
That history explains why CLAUSURA belongs here. Rather than placing a modern sculpture somewhere in the grounds, the artists have brought the outline of the missing buildings back to the place they once occupied. Visitors can get a better sense of the scale of the former church and how it related to the rest of the abbey.
The surviving historic buildings and the new steel framework now form a striking contrast. One shows what has lasted through the centuries; the other makes it easier to imagine what is no longer there.
CLAUSURA and the See-Through Church in Borgloon
If you have visited Reading Between the Lines in Borgloon, you may recognise the approach behind CLAUSURA. Both projects were created by Gijs Van Vaerenbergh, and both use steel to question what a church should look like.
The Borgloon church is built from stacked horizontal steel layers, creating a shape that appears almost transparent in the landscape. CLAUSURA uses a different technique: thin steel rods trace the outline of the lost abbey buildings, including architectural details that help you recognise their original form.
Having seen both, I find the shared idea particularly interesting. Steel is usually something you associate with the structure of a building, but here it becomes the visible design itself. The material gives the churches their shape while allowing the surrounding landscape to remain part of the view.
They are not identical projects, and that is what makes visiting both worthwhile. Borgloon is a contemporary church-shaped artwork set in the open countryside. CLAUSURA is tied directly to the history of Herkenrode Abbey and the buildings that once stood there. One plays with the familiar form of a church; the other also helps bring a lost piece of history back into view.
Exploring the Artwork
CLAUSURA is worth looking at from different angles rather than just stopping for one photograph. The steel lines change in appearance as your viewpoint changes. Some architectural details become clearer from a distance, while closer up you can see how the separate elements form the overall structure.
The open framework also means that the artwork never completely separates itself from its surroundings. The landscape remains visible through the lines, and the historic abbey site is still very much part of the experience.
For photography, it is worth taking both a wider shot that shows the scale of the structure and closer pictures that reveal the details of the steelwork. The contrast between the delicate lines and the size of the building is one of its defining features.
What Else Can You See at Herkenrode Abbey?
CLAUSURA is a good reason to visit, but it is not the only point of interest on the abbey grounds. Herkenrode has a long history, and the surviving buildings help explain how the religious community once lived and worked.
The new Sleutelroute, or Key Route, connects nine locations around the historic site over a route of approximately 1.2 kilometres. Along the way, visitors can discover places including the gatehouse, the abbess's palace, the infirmary, the sisters' quarters and other parts of the former abbey complex.
The route takes around 90 minutes at a relaxed pace. If you have less time, there is a shorter version of approximately 900 metres that focuses on the main highlights, including CLAUSURA. The route requires a ticket, while the artwork can be admired without purchasing one.
Practical Information for Visiting CLAUSURA
The abbey grounds remain accessible to walkers and cyclists, so you can visit CLAUSURA even outside the opening hours of the ticketed route.
Is CLAUSURA Worth a Visit?
If you enjoy unusual architecture, contemporary art or places that offer a different way of looking at history, CLAUSURA is worth adding to your list. It is not another restored church with traditional walls and a roof. Instead, it uses a relatively simple material to make the outline of a lost building visible again.
I would also recommend considering it alongside the see-through church in Borgloon if you enjoy discovering distinctive places in Limburg. Seeing both projects gives you a better idea of how Gijs Van Vaerenbergh uses steel in different ways, depending on the setting and the story behind each location.
At Herkenrode, the artwork has an extra layer of meaning because it marks the place where the abbey church once stood. The building is gone, but its outline is visible again, and that makes this more than just an unusual structure to photograph.