Exclusive, magical, and unique – these are the words that perfectly describe a restaurant located in Antwerp, Belgium. The restaurant is named The Jane Antwerp and founded in a mythical location – the chapel of a former military hospital. The Piet Boon Studio architects were responsible for the interior design of the Jane and managed to transform the chapel’s unique space into an exclusively designed contemporary restaurant.

Based on their belief in authenticity, functionality, and materials that ‘age beautifully’ the architects chose to restore only the highly necessary fragments in the chapel and hence preserve the rest. The original ceiling amongst others conveys the pure, understated, and respectful environment that serves as the authentic host for the ultimate fine dining experience.

The shared passion of Piet Boon Studio to work with pure, rich materials is expressed in the interior in which qualitatively outstanding natural stones, leather, and oak wood are used. Also, the lighting design is well considered too. The ‘piece de résistance’ in the center of the restaurant is an 800 kilograms-weighing gigantic chandelier of 12 by 9 meters with over 150 lights, designed by the Beirut-based design studio PSLAB. The chandelier was created in such a way that it contributes to the intimate and ambient divinity of the chapel interior.

Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel of Studio Job designed the windows consisting of 500 unique panels. These stained-glass windows are decorated with a haphazard collection of objects, animals and other shapes, ranging from eaten apple cores and penguins to gas masks and birthday cakes. Each archetype from various worlds tells masterpiece stories of good and evil, rich and poor, life and death as well as good food and religion.

Combining exquisite taste with such a stunning venue, Jane is bound to become a modern temple of haute cuisine, attracting pilgrims from around the world to its unique interior.

Architect Piet Boon
Location: Paradeplein, Antwerp, Belgium
Year: 2014
Photography by Richard Powers

Found on Archdaily