The competition launched by the Tournai Church Council and won by AHA Elseline Bazin reminds us that architecture and liturgy have always been intertwined. Whilst religious buildings often represent an architect’s magnum opus, here we must content ourselves with the furnishings.

Hardly any new churches have been built since the time of Vatican II (1962–1965). But the liturgical reform that accompanied this last major update has had an impact on the way church interiors are designed. It must be said that following the advent of the Baroque style after the Council of Trent, and the centuries of ornamental exuberance that followed, there is a suspicion that the faithful are no longer very focused. Purification and simplification of the furnishings and the space are therefore called for, and must allow for the active participation of the faithful in liturgical rituals.