Neo-Gothic with accents

At the end of the 19th century, the old almshouse chapel was in need of replacement or restoration. The plans could then be realized thanks to the generosity of the wealthy rentier from Aarschot, Lodewijk Van Haesendonck. By his will of November 15, 1900, he donated the sum of 210,000 francs to the Commission of Civil Almshouses to fulfill the wishes of the sisters. A new building was chosen according to the design by architect Pieter Langerock.

The ecclesiastical architecture at that time was still under the spell of 'neo-Gothic'. This is noticeable on the exterior of the buildings due to their verticality and the use of pointed arches, as seen in medieval churches. Neo-Gothic emerged around 1860 as a form of nationalistic architecture in young Belgium, referencing Flemish greatness in the Middle Ages, but it also became the architecture of the Catholic Church in Belgium as a reaction to the anticlerical atmosphere of that period.

It is important to note that this architecture utilizes modern techniques and materials. Not coincidentally, we see a flourishing brick industry during that period. This brick is often combined with elements of hard stone. The hard stone is used for both technical and aesthetic reasons. Here we see its use in various features including the drip edges, the pointed arch of the entrance with simple sculpture, the lintels made of a single stone above the windows, the tracery of the windows, and the heavy plinth against splashing water.

Jan Rymenams