In Ghent, in Flanders, where the past and the future go hand in hand

On closer inspection, one realises that the light-coloured, austere façade – which complements the surrounding Gothic spires – is made neither of quarry stone nor of fine plaster. It is composed of 80,000 circular bricks literally created from the city’s dust and construction waste. Ghent, in Flanders, has done just that: it has taken its own urban rubble, recycled it locally and transformed it into the new face of its most iconic museum. It is with this architectural choice that the Design Museum Gent reopened its doors a few weeks ago, marking the definitive metamorphosis of what for decades was described as ‘Europe’s best-kept secret’. But Ghent is no longer a secret. Amidst canals that resemble Flemish paintings and bold avant-garde touches, here is an itinerary for a weekend where the past and the future go hand in hand.