Reading Between the Lines: See-through Church of Belgium
For the architects, churches have always been a source of inspiration. Some churches are decorated in a great details and some don’t even look like a traditional church at all. Some lure visitors in with colorful vitrages, while others remain plane. Reading Between the Lines Church is an extraordinary church, that looks modern and traditional at the same time.
The church is located in a remote orchard farm in Borgloon, Belgium. It was built by Pieterjan Gijs and Arnout Van Vaerenbergh, as the part of the Art in an Open Space campaign, in 2011. The church is made of 100 metal plates, which are less than a half inch thick. It took 30 tons of metal and 2,000 columns to construct the church. The whole structure was placed on a reinforced concrete foundation. Visitors come to see the seemingly weightless chapel, which consists of two thousand rods connecting hundred layers of steel plates.
How the church looks, depends on the angle of view. Sometimes, it seems gigantic and sometimes, it seems like parts of the church has disappeared into the air. What is inside the church, is visible outside and vice versa. The building does not have any special protection from rain or wind. It is especially pleasing to the eye at sunrise or at sunset.
The church is located off the beaten track, so it may seem like in the middle of nowhere. But, it is a must see scenery, if you are nearby.
Location: Unnamed Road
Borgloon, 3840
Belgium
UnusualPlaces Field Notes
- Location
- Reading Between the Lines, walking path between Sint-Truidersteenweg and Romeinse Kassei, 3840 Borgloon, Belgium
- Coordinates
- 50.79411, 5.35178
- Access
- Z33 lists the artwork as permanently open, free public-space art. It stands on a rural walking route between Sint-Truidersteenweg and Romeinse Kassei; there is no direct car approach to the structure. From the signed parking area on Sint-Truidersteenweg between Grootloonstraat and Neremstraat, allow about 700 m (roughly 9 minutes) on foot. The surrounding field paths may be uneven; a local route listing says its walking routes are not wheelchair-suitable.
- Admission
- Free; it is an outdoor public artwork.
- Time needed
- Allow about 30–60 minutes including the walk from the nearby car park and time to view the structure. This is a planning estimate; the artwork has no timed tour.
- Best season
- No official preferred season is published. Visit in daylight to see the steel layers change from transparent to solid with viewpoint and light. Spring orchard blossom is a seasonal landscape feature, not an access rule.
- Opening hours
- Z33 lists Reading Between the Lines as permanently open. It is an unstaffed outdoor artwork on a public walking route, not a daily-ticketed church. Check local trail notices for temporary closures and visit in daylight.
- Location checked
- 2026-09-24
- Facts checked
- 2026-10-28
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