Visiting the Sacré-Cœur Basilica of Brussels was a surprisingly different experience from exploring the crowded historical centre of the city. The monumental Art Deco church on Koekelberg Hill combines massive architecture, unusual interiors, stained glass, panoramic views, and an atmosphere that feels both impressive and slightly unexpected.
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Some churches impress with their history, others with their location or architectural beauty. The Sacré-Coeur Basilica of Brussels is striking mainly because of its scale and unusual architecture. Standing high on Koekelberg Hill beneath its enormous copper dome, the Basilica feels very different from the historical churches hidden within the narrow streets of central Brussels.
Like many of the world’s largest churches, the Koekelberg Basilica is a relatively modern building. Its construction began in 1905 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Belgian independence. Initially, the Basilica was designed in the Neo-Gothic style. After the outbreak of World War I, construction works were suspended for several years. As only the foundations had been completed by that time, a decision was eventually made to redesign the project. A new and less expensive Art Deco design was ultimately approved. The Basilica was partially opened for worship in 1935 after the works on the apse had been completed, while the entire construction was finally finished in 1970 with the completion of the massive copper dome that today dominates the Brussels skyline.
The Koekelberg Basilica was originally inspired by the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Paris, whose construction began in 1875 and was completed in 1914. Apart from the original idea and the monumental scale of the project, however, the two basilicas differ significantly from one another. This is not only because of their architectural style, but also because of their urban setting. Like many monumental national churches of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, both basilicas were deliberately placed on elevated ground overlooking the city. Yet while the Parisian Sacré-Cœur stands on Montmartre Hill in the middle of one of the city’s busiest and trendiest districts, the Koekelberg Basilica is located almost on the outskirts of Brussels and feels much more detached from the everyday tourist routes.
If you are staying near the European Union headquarters or in the historical centre of Brussels, visiting the Basilica requires an additional trip across the city. I visited the place on an early Friday afternoon in beautiful weather. Despite the excellent conditions, the area around the Basilica was almost empty, with only a handful of tourists wandering around. At exactly the same time, both Mont des Arts and Grand Place in the historic centre of Brussels were crowded with tourists and locals. The contrast between the two places felt quite striking.
The exterior of the Koekelberg Basilica.
I had rather mixed impressions while visiting the interior of the Basilica. The building follows a consistent architectural concept, yet it combines many different materials, including reinforced concrete, dimension stone, yellow brick, and terracotta. To be honest, I needed some time to get accustomed to both the materials and the colours used throughout the church. The yellow bricks on the exterior, today heavily darkened by dirt and pollution, felt unusual to me. The yellow-green lighting illuminating the terracotta pillars inside created a similarly strange impression.
Only later, after reading more about the building and its architectural background, did I better understand the idea behind its design. The contrasts I noticed are in fact typical of the Art Deco style. During the first half of the twentieth century, the style was regarded as highly modern. Its period of greatest popularity, however, turned out to be relatively short-lived. Today, the Koekelberg Basilica remains one of the most remarkable examples of monumental Art Deco religious architecture in Europe.
The interior layout also differs from that of a traditional church. In fact, the Basilica contains two large prayer areas arranged one behind the other. The main altar is situated directly beneath the massive dome. Behind it lies the extended apse, which forms another spacious prayer area with an additional altar.
At ground level, the Basilica also contains several smaller modern chapels intended for more private prayer. They are separated by large glass walls, which give this part of the church a distinctly modern atmosphere.
Using either the stairs or a lift, visitors can reach the first floor of the Basilica and walk around the interior galleries for a fee of EUR 6. From above, it is also possible to look down into some of the smaller chapels located on the lower level.
Another lift, located to the right of the main altar on the first floor, takes visitors to the panoramic platform situated directly beneath the dome. Walking around it offers wide views across Brussels and its surrounding districts. Because the Basilica stands somewhat outside the historical centre, spotting some of the city’s most famous landmarks from there is not always easy. The panorama, however, allowed me to notice several less well-known buildings scattered across the wider urban area. Seen from above, some of them looked interesting enough to visit during a future stay in Brussels.
The interior of the Basilica at ground level. The first photo shows the prayer area inside the apse, followed by a view of the left nave, the passage behind the apse and the main altar, a look up into the dome, the central nave and the main altar, and finally the right nave. The private chapels are located to the right of the colonnade visible in the last picture.
Another thing that surprised me in such a modern church was the extensive use of stained glass windows. Almost all windows inside the Basilica contain stained glass, although the style of the images is far more modern than what I am usually accustomed to seeing in churches. Still, they immediately catch the eye. Some of the windows on the first floor consist simply of abstract painted glass compositions, which fit well into the overall Art Deco character of the building.
Just a few pictures of the stained glass windows inside the Basilica.
The Sacré-Cœur Basilica of Brussels definitely deserves a place on any must-see list while visiting the Belgian capital. It is probably not the kind of building most people would return to many times, yet it remains a fascinating place to visit at least once. Besides being one of the largest churches in the world, the Basilica is also one of the most remarkable monuments of twentieth-century Art Deco architecture in Europe.
