The islands of Kortrijk' in Kortrijks city magazine

n the past year, we often sought relaxation on foot or by bike in and around our city. When three young international designers came to Kortrijk in October, they discovered a remarkable phenomenon in our landscape: farms surrounded by canals.

Every year, Designregio Kortrijk invites three 'Designers in Residence' to work on a specific theme. This year, Emilie Froelich, Jadd Hallaj and Elena Falomo focused on 'The Future of Urban Leisure'.

Islets
"During our exploration of the leisure spots in Kortrijk, we ended up on the little island of Wildebras in the Van Raemdonck Park. The organisers told us that the island was a remnant of the farm that stood there in the past. This fact aroused our curiosity," says Elena. "We looked at historical maps and discovered that there used to be more of these farms with canals in the area around Kortrijk. Of the 500 'islands' that we found on the Popp map of 1850, many still exist today. And often they are still in good condition," Jadd explains.

"We ended up visiting more than 50 sites. Some of them were still effectively dedicated to agriculture, but for most the function had changed. At Hoeve Te Coucx, for example, the ecological aspect now plays an important role. De Heerlijkheid in Heule, on the other hand, plays a social role," Emilie adds.

Future
"These places show us how we can experience leisure time in the future. They are not in a central location, but spread over the Kortrijk territory and close to nature. The current health crisis proves how valuable this observation is," the three designers conclude.

Are you interested in Emilie, Jadd and Elena's findings? You can admire them at www.eiland.design.be. While Track & Trace they exhibit their work in Schouwburg Kortrijk and in October they come to Wonder Creativity Festival to present their book about the islands of Kortrijk.