Design region Kortrijk puts shoulders to the wheel with new tourist information point in Kortrijk
Due to the closure of Kortrijk 1302, where a brand new museum will soon arise, the city of Kortrijk had to look for a new location to accommodate its tourist reception. Eventually, it became the information point at the Beguinage, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Designregio Kortrijk put together the design team and took care of the right matches. Five AM from Kortrijk took the lead. The result is worth seeing...
Reflection, connection and bonding are central to the new info point. In the design, 5AM spatial design studio blurs the boundaries between art, design, industry, technology and the city. A framework based on the design of the City of Kortrijk has been filled in by designers and makers from the region. It gives the space the creativity it needs, with a focus on co-creation in concept, design and production.
In the interior, you'll find the four elements from the new logo of the city. Each element stands for a storyline on which Kortrijk wants to focus in the years to come and introduces the visitor to the city in an interactive way. The interpretation of these storylines was left to four Kortrijk creators.
Arne Desmet (FRACTALL): shopping
Kortrijk is traditionally a real shopping city. An urban city hub that also dares to innovate. Just think of the upcoming refurbishment of the shopping area (more about that later). Bringing Kortrijk even more firmly into the hearts and minds of fashionistas is the ultimate goal. The round mirror, where the visitor can look at himself from different angles, refers to the shopping city where different fashion lovers can get their money's worth.
Xavier Truant: gastronomy
In the coming years, Kortrijk intends to further profile itself as a culinary hotspot with resonance across the borders. New places such as the lowered Leieboorden will be experienced further thanks to the hospitality industry. But innovative interventions will also restore historical sites to their former grandeur. An attractive city that can be enjoyed in all sorts of ways. Xavier Truant is a Kortrijk-based illustrator known for his work for Knack and De Morgen, among others. For the city, he created the illustrations for the student card.
Siel Verhanneman: creativity
Above all, Kortrijk has been a UNESCO Creative City since 2017. Something the city proudly proclaims. The home base of Interieur, Wonder, the art triennial Paradise, Memento Word Festival, Next,... . But also the city that is committed to becoming Cultural Capital in 2030. Hence the choice to depict a poem by Siel Verhanneman from Kortrijk on the arch. The letters are magnetic, so the visitor can adapt the poem himself.
Moonmonster: gaming
With DAE, Kortrijk has the best gaming school in the world. An unprecedented potential that the city will further exploit in the coming years. Just think of the Unwrap festival that was held last year. Moonmonster is a start-up from co-creation hub Hangar K that will play its own game Inverted, made in Kortrijk.
