I think of churches as Medieval structures, built from stone and sweat, heavy with history and mythology.  So the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg, Brussels, has an unexpected character.  It’s immense, described as the fifth largest Christian church in the world.  And it’s modern, constructed in increments from 1905 to 1969.  A display of archival photos inside shows teams of workers assembling the structure’s steel frame and cladding.  The men look as if they could be building a skyscraper, or a stadium.

There’s a non-church feeling to the church.  It’s built in the Art Deco style, not the first style one associates with religious architecture, with details that seem more stylish than symbolic.  The ceramic blocks on the interior are inventively shaped but have a heavy, institutional aspect. Although appropriately shadowed, the cavernous halls and passages give one the feeling of an old, underused Eastern European train station.  Perhaps this was all only to prepare us for the release that came as we stepped out onto the roof of the building.  From here, circling the dome, we caught a breeze and enjoyed splendid views across the city.  We were able to point out where we were staying and where we wanted to go later that day.  In the end the church offered simple, secular pleasures.