This marks the fifth overseas study trip organized by YINJISPACE.

In the current landscape of design practices, Belgian architects have ventured beyond international trends to explore a subtle possibility: tranquility, rationality, and humility, intertwined with a hint of vaguely religious humanistic hues, harmonizing in an organic order to stimulate individual vitality. They create and express with a unique self-perception, seemingly independent in a corner of the world, yet holding a significant place.

Diverging from other routes, the core of this itinerary is designed to emphasize locality, practical significance, and a relevant understanding of the location, aiming for a more empathetic experience. We focus on three architectural interior design firms and three avant-garde art studios in Belgium. Through their suitable strategies for the site, history, environment, contemporary aesthetics, and spatial functionality attributes, we explore the thought process and social significance behind their works.

This “applicable” and practical design methodology may offer inspiration for us in the present moment. From March 22nd to March 28th, 2024, during this 7-day, 6-night journey, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself with YINJISPACE in the very essence of “place”, experiencing, perceiving, and learning how Belgian art seamlessly integrates with luxurious residences, while exploring individual differences based on the overall coordination of the site environment.

Art and Luxury Homes Journey in Belgium, from Antwerp to Brussels, spanning 4 cities. Led by the founders of Belgian design firms, with a dedicated design professional as a translator throughout the entire journey.

Focus on three Belgian architectural interior design firms (Glenn Sestig, JUMA, Frederic Kielemoes) and two avant-garde Belgian art studios (Cédric Etienne, Ileana Moro).

Architect Glenn Sestig curates an in-depth journey themed around “Artistic Luxury Homes”, featuring an exclusive tour of the founder’s private residences and a visit to a commissioned castle gallery.

Architect Frederic Kielemoes’ luxury residences prominently feature Belgium’s acclaimed stone craftsmanship. In the Knokke itinerary, we have specially planned a visit to a stone factory dedicated to this service. Additionally, an exclusive course will be conducted at one of Frederic’s client residences.

Alongside the currently acclaimed Belgian artist Ileana Moro, we will not only visit her personal studio but also explore Objects With Narratives, a renowned gallery space in Brussels.

Throughout the journey, there will be six sessions of professional design course sharing, focusing on luxury homes and the art field. Participants will have the opportunity to visit seven privately owned, non-public luxury residences.

Accommodations include stays at three hotels, including August Hotel (Vincent Van Duysen), 1898 Post Hotel (Geraldine Dohogne), and La Réserve Hotel (Glenn Sestig). Participants will dine at six design restaurants, including Lys d'Or Restaurant (Michelin), Dunas (Grain Design), Valke Vleug Winery (Vincent Van Duysen), and more

The projects visited are non-public, imparting a meaningful exploration to each “location”. We aim for a journey imbued with a spirit of “locality”, delving deep into it. Through connections with renowned local firms, we seek to unearth the profound essence at the core of design.

Due to space limitations, not all visitation projects are introduced.

Born in Ghent, Belgium, in 1968, Glenn Sestig graduated from the Henri Van De Velde Institute in Antwerp. In 1999, he founded the Glenn Sestig Architects firm. He is known for his dedication to minimalist expression, demonstrating a precise mastery of architectural lines, proportions, and perspectives.

Frederic Kielemoes, a Belgian interior architect, is renowned for his iconic minimalist design style. He adheres to the design philosophy of “less is more”, exploring unique expressions of light, space, emotion, and location. He maximizes the use of natural light to create an elegantly minimal context.

JUMA is a design studio located in Ghent, Belgium, founded by Mathieu Luyens and Julie Van De Keere in 2009. Their aesthetic standards are modern and minimalistic, yet restrained and humble. Their design services encompass everything from the initial conceptual stages to the intricate details of material and furniture design.

Ileana Moro is a Cuban-Costa Rican artist who expresses her artistic vision through self-taught techniques of oil painting on linen. Her work encompasses ethereal and enigmatic semblance, often abstract in nature, while intentionally avoiding the human figure. Instead, she delves into transient, mystic subjects. Recognized for its exploration of dark tones, her paintings aim to reveal the depths and layers of human shadows and the instinctive connection to the invisible realm.

Cédric Etienne is an interior architect, stage designer, and curator of 'stillness,' also serving as a co-founder of the Corkinho Studio. Corkinho Studio is an interdisciplinary design firm based in Antwerp.

Potier Stone is the preferred brand of Glenn Sestig and Frederic Kielemoes in luxury homes and upscale hotel projects. They elevate craftsmanship to an artistic level, recognized in the Belgian design community as artisans of stone furniture rather than just a typical stone factory. During this visit, participants can not only appreciate the top-tier stones in the Potier Stone collection but also gain insights into the intricate craftsmanship involved through a visit to the stone processing workshop.

Winery Valke Vleug is in a vineyard in rural Flanders, where 17,000 grapevines grow in an ancient asparagus field. The project draws inspiration from the atypical nature of architecture and incorporates a unique symbol from the surrounding site and buildings. Designed by Vincent Van Duysen Architects, the project respects local traditions by seamlessly integrating the building into the existing landscape, paying homage to the ancient agricultural structures in the Klein-Brabant region.

La Reserve Hotel, designed by Belgian architect Glenn Sestig, has been a prominent figure in the seaside resort town of Knokke since the mid-20th century, making it a popular destination in Belgium. The hotel has served and hosted numerous celebrities over the years. Glenn Sestig has undertaken a comprehensive transformation of the hotel's public areas, seamlessly integrating minimalist architectural style with luxurious materials, creating a unique legacy style for the hotel.

August Hotel is a century-old monastery that has been meticulously restored and transformed into a tranquil urban sanctuary by the architecture firm Vincent Van Duysen. Collaborating with Wouter Callebaut Architecten, the firm carefully restored its neoclassical features from the period and introduced contemporary architectural elements, infusing it with the characteristics and functionality of a modern hotel.

The 1898 Post Hotel is located in Ghent, and it is a conversion of a postal building built in 1898. The original architecture was designed by Louis Cloquet for the 1913 World Exposition. The hotel's location is superb, offering views of an ancient church from its windows. Geraldine Dohogne, to preserve the architectural and cultural heritage, has maintained historical walls and weathered fireplaces inside. The interior is adorned with paintings and postal tools from the last century, attempting to recreate the atmosphere of that era.

Interested individuals can inquire by calling 008618516033254 or adding the official WhatsApp at 08618516033254. Additionally, you may send your requirements to the email address: mia@yinjispace.com.

For a group of 3 or more participants, each person will receive a discount of 500CNY.

If a group consists of 5 or more participants, each person will enjoy a discount of 800CNY.

Returning participants who have attended 2-5 trips will receive a discount of 500CNY, and starting from the 6th trip, the discount increases to over 1000CNY. Note that discounts offered by items 1 and 2 do not stack, but item 3 can be combined with either of them.

Hotel Notes:

The listed hotels in the itinerary are based on double occupancy, with room assignments arranged randomly according to the order of registration. If a participant experiences poor sleep quality, it is recommended to upgrade to a single room. The price difference for the upgraded room is to be borne by the participant.

Visa Notes:

The passport must have at least 6 months of validity remaining after the trip concludes and should have 2 blank visa pages (excluding observation pages). YINJISPACE only collects passports on behalf of participants. The approval of the visa application is at the discretion of the consulate. Any losses (including, but not limited to, self-booked flights or hotel reservations) incurred due to visa rejection are the responsibility of the visa applicant. Once the visa application is submitted, the visa fees are non-refundable, with a processing time of 6-8 weeks.

Insurance Notes:

The insurance provided for this trip is only applicable to participants holding passports issued by mainland China. Participants holding non-mainland China passports are required to purchase their own insurance (self-provided insurance). Any risks and losses incurred due to opting out of insurance coverage will be the responsibility of the participant.