Hasselt (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): The old nun’s place from 1519 at Herkenrode Abbey is in bad shape. But they will use the old parts in a new art project with a modern church. They will also look under the ground without digging to learn more about it. The project should be finished by 2026.
The old nuns’ place built in 1519 has gotten really worn out over time. Only some bits of the original building are left like a tiny room where a nun used to sleep. Paul from the abbey says they’re gonna use this old part of the building in a new art project they’re planning for the site. They want to keep and mix the old stuff with the new art they’re making. The old building is in bad shape. It’s not strong anymore and the weather is making it fall apart even faster. Because of this the building will probably keep breaking down which will make it hard to keep and use the old quarters in the new art project they’re planning.
How is Herkenrode Abbey preserving its historic sister place while building a modern hurch?
The old sister place in Herkenrode Abbey looks like an old-style house with wooden beams. But the mud that used to fill the gaps between the beams has mostly worn away over the years leaving the building in bad shape. Inside they have to use wooden beams to hold up the walls because the mud has crumbled away and the walls are not strong enough on their own. Paul from the abbey says they’re gonna keep and mix the old sister place parts with the new building they’re planning. They want to make sure the history of the building stays while adding new modern touches to it.
Paul from the abbey says they’re building a big church you can see through and it should be done by 2026. They’re gonna mix the old sister place with this new church. People visiting can touch the old beams from 1519 and feel where a nun’s bed used to be.
After they remove the plants and partly take apart the building they will use a special radar called GPR to look underground without digging. Paul from the abbey says archaeology isn’t just about digging anymore. They want to learn a lot about what’s under there but also want to keep it untouched.
