Wilsele (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Students at Bleydenberg Free Primary School in Wilsele can now attend classes in the fully restored, listed Bleydenberg Chapel, which now houses a modern classroom while preserving its historic features.
As VRT News reported, in Wilsele, part of Leuven, Belgium, students at the Bleydenberg Free Primary School can now have classes in the historic Bleydenberg Chapel. The Bleydenberg Chapel in Wilsele is now in use again as a multifunctional space.
The ground floor serves as a multipurpose hall and staff room, while a classroom has been added on the first floor. The restoration of the chapel cost €1,860,000, with the school covering €400,000.
“From there, the students have a view of the stained-glass windows real experience,”
says Willem Van Damme.
How was Bleydenberg Chapel in Wilsele restored for modern school use?
According to officials, the chapel’s renovation is part of a larger plan for the Bleydenberg school site. 3 of the 4 planned projects are already finished. The new main school building and a green playground are completed and in use. The playground is open to the neighbourhood outside school hours. The last project, a new daycare centre, is still under study.
The chapel was built in 1898 in the neo-Gothic style and consecrated in 1900. It is located in the centre of the school playground and is recognised for its heritage value. The building was officially protected in 2006. Over the years, the chapel had fallen into disrepair and required a full renovation.
“The stained-glass windows had already been removed several years ago for safety reasons and to protect them,”
says Willem Van Damme, a member of the school board.
“As a result, the chapel was very dark, and in the 1960s, an entire floor had already been demolished. The gutters were also rotten.”
The restoration took a year to complete. The work focused on protecting the chapel’s structure and preserving its remarkable interior paintwork. The Flemish Heritage Agency supervised the renovation to ensure the building’s integrity. A modern classroom was integrated into the historic chapel during the works.
“Through an open call from the Flemish Heritage Agency and with the support of Agion (the Agency for Infrastructure in Education) and the vicariate, we succeeded in restoring the chapel to its former glory,”
says architect Steven Peters, who is also a member of the school board.
Brussels Morning is a daily online newspaper based in Belgium. BM publishes unique and independent coverage on international and European affairs. With a Europe-wide perspective, BM covers policies and politics of the EU, significant Member State developments, and looks at the international agenda with a European perspective.
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