National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Brussels (Belgium)
N 50° 52.000 E 004° 19.094
31U E 592763 N 5635825
On the hill Koekelberg in the western part of Brussels you can find the biggest world’s Art Deco building - the stunning National Basilica of the Sacred Heart which is also the world’s 5th largest church.
Waymark Code: WM6EK4
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Date Posted: 05/22/2009
Views: 16
Nationale Basiliek van Heilig Hart / Basilique Nationale de Koekelberg / Basilica of the Sacred Heart
The original idea of the Basilica was for it to be a national pantheon, but after King Leopold II had visited Basilique Sacre-Coeur in Paris, he decided to erect a basilica church that would be dedicated to the Sacred Heart. In 1905, he laid the foundation stone of the basilica, which was conceived by the architect Pierre Langerock as a colossal neo-Gothic church. The construction works halted with the onset of World War I and were not resumed until 1919. However, by that time, the developers had changed their plans and appointed a new architect, Albert Van Huffel from Ghent, to build a modern prayerhouse. The building of the church depended solely on donations made by believers and the funds generated from these donations were not always sufficient, which of course led to delays. Many citizens of Brussels doubted that it would ever be completed. It was, though – the works ended in 1971 and the church was dedicated to the victories in two world wars.
This visually arresting church faces the grassy Parc Elisabeth (Elizabeth Park). Rising above the esplanade on Koekelberg Hill and flanked by two towers, the main dome is the most prominent feature and the highest point of the basilica (89 m in height and 31 m in diameter). It provides a good vantage point from where tourists can admire the panoramic views of Brussels and its environs.
Inside, the church is decorated is in Art Deco style, popular in the 1930s, with usage of marble. The sun casts coloured light through many stained-glass windows showing Christ’s love for mankind. Most of the modern windows were designed by Michale Maertens and Anto Carte ("Judgement dernier" above the entrance). The ciborium over the high altar has on top of it a Cross and four bronze angels in a kneeling posture, cast by the Danish sculptor Harry Elstrom. Beside the chevet one can see an imposing statue of the Crucified Christ by Georg Minne. Built in front of the three porches in the atrium is a wide passageway. The view along the nave (141 m in length) is especially striking and the composition of brick, sandstone, yellow terracotta and concrete enhances the overall impression of splendour even more.
The transept, from which one descends into the crypt, measures 108 m in length, whereas the great apse that includes the chancel of the Parish church is 45 m long. As is evidenced from these figures, the basilica was first and foremost intended as a place for important religious services, capable of housing large congregations of people. For all the criticism it generates, the basilica today remains an outstanding example of functionalist architecture thanks to its design and materials used for the construction.