A new chancel creates space for a replica of a baroque Contius organ in the unique baroque interior of Sint-Michielskerk (St Michael’s Church) in Leuven. The integration of the organ is an architectural reflection of the interior as a whole. According to 360 Architecten, each intervention is intended to help build a perfect space. The realisation that individual interventions can never take precedence over the coherence of the whole lies at the heart of the design. In addition to the spatial and functional integration of the organ, the architects worked out a new strategy for the entrance portal and chancel screen. They studied the entrance sequences of the public when the church was used for different purposes. The new access facilitates multiple uses, from ceremonies and celebrations to concerts and tourism. A series of 3 rooms is separated from the church space. A new public reception area and connecting space to the chancel and lodges borders a central vestibule with ceremonial doors.

This text is based on the project text provided by the architects.

Organ loft for the Contius organ, Saint-Michael church, 360 Architecten in Composite Presence, Flanders Architecture Institute © We Document Art

Composite Presence at Biennale Architettura 2021

This project is part of the exhibition Composite Presence in the Belgian pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.

360 Architecten: "We think our project was included in the townscape of Composite Presence because it takes a strong position towards craftmanship and the nuanced relation architecture can have towards the historical context. Maybe it also helps to put the reuse of these often overwhelmingly beautiful and singular spaces of churches on the agenda, reclaiming them for the public realm as Giambattista Nolli once did in his plan for Rome.

We understand that Dirk Somers needed a representative ending of the central axis of the Potemkin model town he is creating in the pavilion. The monumental façade of St. Michael's Church seems to do the job perfectly. It actually puts our intervention behind the scenes of Somers’ Potemkin city. The visitor literally has to walk behind the décor to experience it. Personally, and as architects, we are quite comfortable with that position."

more about Composite Presence