Abbaye de Tongerlo — aménagements Art déco de l'abbatiale

Founded around 1130, the Norbertine abbey of Tongerlo is a large walled complex surrounded by moats, whose buildings belong to several periods and styles. Its Neo-Gothic abbey church was built in 1852-1858 to designs by the Antwerp architect P.P. Stoop, then repaired after the fire of 1929 with, among other things, a choir extension designed by the Brussels architect Jules Ghobert. According to the inventory, an impressive Art Deco ensemble was realised from 1920 to 1937 to his designs, with the artists J.G. Van Goolen and C. Counhaye. The Art Deco is confined to the interior of the church: the transept chapels, the side choirs, the ambulatory and the altars, including the marble high altar of 1930-1935 crowned by a ciborium designed by Ghobert, with Neo-Byzantine mosaics by Counhaye. These alterations were controversial and were never completed. The abbey has been a protected monument since 1976.

Translated from the French original.