Chapelle Des Mineurs, Belgium

Chapelle Des Mineurs is a small church in northern Belgium. The church was built in the mid-1930’s, featuring unique Art Deco style triangular windows. Above the triple-door entrance, the main window has vivid orange radiating segments alternate with clear segments. This striking window is reminiscent of a famous sci-fi logo, leading to this church’s other code name; Star Trek Church. The roof of the church mimics this window, with the walls and arches raising to a high pointed ceiling. The arches are lined on either side by there similar triangular windows with orange stained glass.

Spring 2016

This church was one of the first locations I visited in mainland Europe, during the early Spring of 2016. At that time the church was relatively pristine, with only a few cracks beginning to show on the ceiling and the occasional pile of crumbled plaster on the floor. There were many religious artefacts; a cross, marble Virgin Mary bust, bibles and various hand-made craft items.

Spring 2018

We had an unplanned re-visit to Chapelle Des Mineurs in the Spring of 2018, as we drove by the church on the way to elsewhere. We stopped the car to take a look at this classic location once more. The interior has deteriorated dramatically in the intervening two years. Several patches of roof are now collapsing around the side windows, and holes are appearing. The once clean red floor tiles are now dusty white with decayed plaster and paint from the ceiling. Rain water dripped and echoed on the tiled floor. The beautiful green marble altar has been vandalised, and the carved brass centre piece stolen (along with many of the other small decorative items).