An Antwerp Cathedral Repurposed to The Jane Restaurant

Located in what was once the chapel of a former military hospital within the center of Antwerp’s Groen Kwartier, The Jane is the highly-anticipated restaurant featuring the cuisines of three-star chef Sergio Herman and chef Nick Bril. The interior design was developed by Dutch designer Piet Boon who collaborated and commissioned some of the elements to create an amazing interior that stays true to the structure that it has once been.

Guests can enter the restaurant through the chapel’s huge and heavy doors and to the reception desk. Many of the chapel’s qualities such as its high ceiling and decorative details have been left intact. One of these would be the untouched ceiling where the peeled paintwork was preserved using a sealant. “It was hugely important to restore and preserve the Chapel which was in quite a derelict state.”

The altar of the chapel was converted in to a kitchen, which makes it a symbolic design to celebrate the renowned chef’s work. The kitchen is enclosed in a glasshouse room and built to curve around the chancel. The glass extends into the other end of the room up to the waiter’s service station.

Inside The Jane, guests are treated to visual elements while they enjoy their gastronomic feast. An enormous chandelier weighing 800kg with over 150 lights in black metal rod serves as the focal point of the restaurant. It was created by PSlab, a Beirut-based company. Another would be the stained glass windows with 500-panels surrounding the entire room with illustrations of food and drinks made by Studio Job.

Boon said that they have identified the clear view and strong concept even from the start of the project. This, according to Boon, has made the concept “visible in every aspect and detail, from the custom-made chef’s knives, to the staff’s uniform by G-Star. Everything is in sync.”

When asked about the name, Nick Brill explains, “Jane is the name of a fictional woman with the same qualities as our restaurant. The Jane will be sensual, exciting and chic. It will have an attractive international air, but also a hint of darkness. It will be tasteful and sophisticated, but also rock n’ roll. Like our perfect woman.”

The Jane opened on the week of March 24.