Sint-Jan de Doperkerk

Sint-Jan de Doperkerk is a parish church in the Molekens neighborhood, south of the Albert Canal, in Herentals, a town in Belgium's Antwerp province. The building stands at Populierenlaan 1 and counts among the more distinctive examples of post-war religious architecture in the region.

How did the parish in Molekens begin?

The story of this place starts not with the construction of a church, but with an initiative of the local residents themselves. In 1960, people living in Molekens built a small chapel by their own efforts, meant to serve their growing neighborhood. The chapel turned out to be a great success — so much so that it quickly became too small for the number of worshippers it attracted. This growth led to the formal establishment of the Sint-Jan de Doper parish in 1966, and a few years later the decision was made to build a proper, larger church.

What does the building look like?

The current church was constructed between 1969 and 1970 as a hall church, designed in the brutalist style — an architectural movement popular across Western Europe at the time, built around raw exposed concrete and stripped-down geometric forms. The building's most recognizable feature is its low, open bell tower, executed in concrete above the entrance — instead of a traditional tall steeple, Molekens got a much more horizontal, minimalist form.

The second defining feature is the flat roof, or rather an immense, seemingly floating roof built without supporting pillars. This structural choice, while visually striking, caused considerable difficulties for the designers and builders even before the church was put into use — engineers had to solve the challenge of holding up such a large roof surface without the usual columns inside the nave, which in turn gave the interior an open, unobstructed character.

What can visitors see inside?

Inside the church, attention is drawn to its Stations of the Cross — a cycle depicting the Passion of Christ, executed in ceramic by artist Griet Wouters. This contemporary, hand-crafted approach to a traditional liturgical subject fits well with the rest of the interior, which follows the same spirit of simplicity and rawness found throughout the building's architecture.

Why is it worth a visit?

Sint-Jan de Doperkerk is not a church that draws visitors through grandeur or age — it is more of an architectural curiosity for anyone interested in brutalism and post-war religious modernism. Its history, from a chapel built by residents themselves to a boldly shaped church from the late 1960s and early 1970s, shows how a local community could directly shape the development of religious infrastructure in its own neighborhood. For visitors to Herentals looking beyond the town's standard historical sightseeing route, it's an unusual stop worth including.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the church located? At Populierenlaan 1, in the Molekens neighborhood of Herentals, south of the Albert Canal.

When was the current church building constructed? It was built between 1969 and 1970, although the parish has formally existed since 1966, with roots going back to a chapel built by residents in 1960.

In what architectural style was the church designed? In the brutalist style, featuring raw concrete, a flat roof without supporting pillars, and a low, open bell tower above the entrance.

What is worth seeing inside? A ceramic Stations of the Cross created by artist Griet Wouters.