The spirit of place as the key to redevelopment

Flanders has seven sites on the UNESCO world heritage list. Perhaps the most picturesque among them are the thirteen beguinages, founded from the 13th century onwards for women who wanted to lead a devout life without taking monastic vows. Today, these beguinages are islands of peace in the urban fabric.

Together with the thousands of churches, chapels, monasteries and abbeys, the beguinages are stately witnesses to centuries of religious and community life in Flanders. They mark the landscape, and add aesthetic and mystical qualities to the place where they are located. They act as magnets for visitors in search of beauty, silence, inspiration and spirituality.

Yet, an important question arises around this religious heritage. Now that faith is no longer the primary unifying factor in communities, their original function no longer provides an answer to contemporary societal needs. What, then, can their contribution be to our communities today?

This “repurposing” of religious heritage is a current issue throughout Europe, for which Flanders is seeking answers. That answer is inextricably linked with the “spirit of place” – as UNESCO puts it – which resides in buildings and their grounds, in memories and stories. Embedding this spirit of place into the new purpose – and thus into the future of the building – is crucial. Not only for sake of heritage, but also for all those involved: the owners, the residential community and the visitors.

There are countless other ways to connect with the spirit of place. Take the abbey’s herb and vegetable garden, for example. You can capitalise on this with the menu you serve to your delegates. You can do this in the former abbey church, with a story that harks back to the Franciscan monks’ philosophy of hospitality. In this way, the spirit of place gives your conference extra dimensions in terms of experience and storytelling.

The spirit of place can certainly add significant value to your conference. If you organize, say, a medical conference in a medieval hospital, or a conference on renewable energy in a former coal mine, then your delegates get to experience that extra dimension. By choosing your conference venue according to the theme of your conference, you give your narrative extra meaning and your association or PCO conveys a stronger message.”