Sint-Augustinuskerk

The Sint-Augustinuskerk is a former monastic church located at Kammenstraat 73 in Antwerp, Belgium. Dedicated to Augustine of Hippo, the early Baroque complex was constructed between 1615 and 1618 for the Order of the Augustinians. Recognized as a protected monument in 1939, the church is historically significant for its architecture and its original altarpieces by Antwerp's leading Baroque painters. Following the deconsecration of the church in the 1970s, the site underwent a major transformation. Since 2006, it has served as the home of AMUZ (Augustinus Muziekcentrum), an international music center that integrates the historic fabric with contemporary architecture and acoustics to host cultural and educational events.

The Augustinian order first appeared in Antwerp in the early 16th century but was expelled in 1522 due to Lutheran sympathies. They returned in 1607 and were granted land on the Everdijstraat and Kammenstraat, formerly occupied by a brewery. Construction of the monastic complex, including school buildings, continued until 1676, though the church itself was built rapidly between 1615 and 1618 during the Twelve Years' Truce. After the dissolution of the monastery, the complex largely demolished in the first half of the 19th century, though the church survived. It served as a subsidiary church of Onze-Lieve-Vrouw from 1803, later becoming a parish church until 1973 or 1974. Following its deconsecration, the building was restored between 1976 and 1982 under architect Jozef Frickel. A subsequent restoration and repurposing by Architectenbureau Vanhecke & Suls, carried out between 1999 and 2011, converted the site into the international music center AMUZ.

The artistic holdings of the Sint-Augustinuskerk center on its Baroque altarpieces and interior decorative programs from the Counter-Reformation. In 1628, the Order of the Augustinians commissioned Antwerp's leading painters to create altarpieces for the church. The interior also featured fourteen paintings depicting scenes from the life of Saint Augustine by Jacob Jordaens, Jan Cossiers, and Willem van Herp, alongside stained glass windows dating from the first quarter of the 20th century. The walls and vaults feature Renaissance and Baroque decorative elements, including medallions of the twelve apostles surrounded by angels, putti, and garlands executed by Aert Coens between 1650 and 1654. In 2018, the scope of the site's art was expanded to include contemporary installations that reference the original Baroque works.

The most historically significant holdings were the three original Baroque altarpieces commissioned in 1628. Peter Paul Rubens painted the main altarpiece depicting the Holy Family and Fourteen Saints, also known as the Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine. For the side aisles, Antoon van Dyck painted the altarpiece for the Augustinus altar, and Jacob Jordaens painted the altarpiece for the Apollonia altar. Following the church's deconsecration in the 1970s, these original canvases were moved to the depot of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp. Twentieth-century copies by Leon Van Ryssegem occupied the altars temporarily. In 2018, for the Antwerp Baroque Year, Jan Fabre installed three new permanent artworks over the altars, constructed from approximately 450,000 scarab beetle wing cases. Fabre's installations incorporate motifs from the original altarpieces combined with elements of contemporary music culture, titled the Monastic Performance for the high altar, the Ecstatic Recording for the left side altar, and the Heavenly Prospect for the right side altar.

The Sint-Augustinuskerk is located in the center of Antwerp at Kammenstraat 73. Since 2006, the central church space has functioned as a concert hall managed by the vzw AMUZ (Festival van Vlaanderen Antwerpen). The site hosts the annual Laus Polyphoniae festival, which has run since 1994, alongside other international cultural and educational music activities. The repurposing included significant adaptations for public and musician use, such as sound isolation for a quiet auditorium, optimized acoustics, and climate control, all installed with respect for the historic monument. The neo-Byzantine Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekapel now serves as a foyer, the sacristan's residence houses AMUZ offices, and a newly constructed access building on the Kammenstraat serves as a public entrance and landmark. Additional modern structures include an expanded foyer next to the winter chapel and well-equipped artist lodges at the rear of the complex.