Herita invited Gijs Van Vaerenbergh to think about an artistic vision for the lost heart of Herkenrode. The duo proposes to restore the lost buildings to their full scale and original location. An artistic, spatial installation that resurrects the shape of the lost ensemble, without being an exact reconstruction. Using thin bars of Corten steel, the silhouettes of the lost buildings are reconstructed at full size and at the original location. The transparent framework shows the volumetrics, spatiality and details (windows, vaults, towers) of the buildings as a three-dimensional drawing. The thin bars interact with the site like the lines of a sketch on a sheet. The result is both recognizable and abstract and will challenge the visitor to visit the architecture of the lost complex in a new way. Although the new volumes are transparent, they form visual landmarks from far and near. They restructure the site. A visitor approaching the complex will experience a multitude of intersecting lines at eye level. Looking up the roofs and towers are clearly visible against the sky. Details will emerge as we approach the complex further. As soon as one walks in the direction of a building section, the steel elements align, causing the architecture of the space (vaults, windows, walls) to reveal itself. Because the different buildings are positioned at right angles to each other, recognition and alienation alternate. The transparent line structure preserves the vistas throughout the site. A massive cluster of buildings would have failed to do so. Looking up, the artwork is more transparent than when one looks straight ahead. From certain points of view, different lines will show silhouettes of the buildings, while in other places chaos will arise due to the overlapping of lines. As the viewer approaches or enters the buildings, building elements will subtly emerge.
