The Glass Chapel

In 1929, an unusual chapel emerged in a small Belgian town. The Sainte-Lutgarde de Fauquez Chapel—nicknamed the Glass Chapel—was built with a striking new material: marbrite, a type of glass that would soon become a hallmark of the Art Deco movement.

Built by Arthur Brancart, owner of the Fauquez glassworks, it served both as a chapel for his workers and as a showroom for the factory's prized invention.

Marbrite, as its name suggests, was a technique for tinting glass with specific colors and nuances so that it imitated marble. Exclusively produced in Fauquez, it briefly took the world by storm. Production stopped in 1964, and the glass today is most commonly found in cemeteries. 

The chapel was abandoned along with its once-celebrated material, and remained in ruins until the 1990s, when a couple decided to buy it. 

After years of restoration, the Glass Chapel is now open to visitors as a cultural venue, hosting concerts and plays.

Guests can also stay overnight in this unusual place, and explore the neighboring museum which preserved more than 300 pieces produced by the Fauquez factory. The owner is always eager to share the history of the chapel and its glass.