Not far from Ninove, in the middle of the fields, stands the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw ten Beukenboom chapel (Our Lady of the Beech Trees), a modest landmark in the surrounding meadows. This unconsecrated place of worship was built in 1661 by the lord of Voorde, who came here every day to pray for his wife’s recovery. Over the course of its long life, the chapel has become something of an icon in the region. In 2016, the Ghent-based firm Gafpa was commissioned to transform the chapel into a dwelling.

The white lacquered steel portico marks the central axis of the chapel. A second portico runs along the east wall. Perforated and profiled steel plates cover the span and overhang the central portico. Independent of the thick, massive walls of the former place of worship, a slender steel structure now rises.