The Sint-Niklaaskerk, courtesy of a tower fire

When you approach the village center of Rillaar from Diest or via the Tieltseweg, you are surprised by the changing views of the Sint-Niklaaskerk and the few traditional buildings in an intimate center. The accumulation of larger and smaller, higher and lower volumes is striking. On a rather bulky, rather high square tower base, rises an elegant octagonal bell tower, with an alternation of red brick and white sandstone. The movement is incorporated into the roof in a half arch. The spire is crowned with a fine lantern and pear.

The special appearance of the current church was determined by architect Augustin Van Arenbergh (1799-1877). The completely renovated church from the period 1864-1868 is by his hand. The church is a hall church where the middle and aisles are the same height. The main nave was preserved. The aisles were brought forward and included the tower. We often see this particularity at Van Arenbergh when the space in a church needs to be enlarged. After the tower fire in 1860, a new tower was built on the existing foundations. The intersection of the transept and the existing main nave was crowned with a spacious dome under an octagonal tent roof.

Like many of the rural churches that Van Arenbergh built or rebuilt in hageland, the style is neoclassical.

Jan Rymenams