D oorkijkkerk – Reading between the lines was designed by architecture firm Gijs Van Vaerenbergh in 2011. It is made up of more than 30 tons of steel, 2,000 columns and built on a fundament of armed concrete. The project is titled “Reading between the lines” is because from afar, it looks like a solid building. But from up-close, the landscape is visible throughout the church.
Reading between the lines
Doorkijkkerk - An unexpected visual experience
On our journey of exploring Belgium, we visited a look-through church named Doorkijkkerk – “Reading between the lines”. I know it may sound a little perplexing, and you are asking how come a church is called “Reading between the lines”; but when you see it, you will understand. I call it my way – a transparent church so that my brain can easily picture exactly how the church looks like.
Depending on the perspective of the viewer, the church is either perceived as a massive building, or dissolves — partly or completely — into the landscape. In this way, church and landscape can both be considered part of the work — hence also its title, which implies that to read between the lines, one must also read the lines themselves.
Doorkijkkerk is located on the outskirts of Borgloon, Belgium, and it was not straightforward for us to find at first. Here is the map we found after visiting this place (feck!), we hope it will be useful for you. You can reach it by foot or bicycle. If by car, you can park on the parking at Sint-Truidersteenweg between Grootloonstraat and Neremstraat and continue by foot (see map). Anyway, if you have any problem of finding the church (no map, no 3G), just try to get to a village near by, I am sure the locals can tell you where it is.
Once you decide to go there, I recommend going there at sunrise or sunset because the building’s shadows will be lengthened when the sun goes up/down, which accentuates the presence of this alluring piece of art.
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AnhThy
AnhThy(Tea) started to travel at a very young age, but things get serious during her years living abroad where she was exposed to majestic nature and wonderful people from all walks of life. Apart from photography, writing becomes part of her life in which she relives all of the memories built up along the way, and in which she can become as many different characters as she always wants to be.
Following her journey to discover more of the personality that comes across in her work.
