DESIGN DISPATCH

Glenn Sestig Brings a Belgian Staple Into Today, and Other News

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La Réserve. Photography by Jean-Pierre Gabriel

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Glenn Sestig Brings a Belgian Staple Into the 21st Century

Situated between the picturesque Silver Lake and the popular Albertstrand beach in Knokke, the tony La Réserve has endured as a sought-after hospitality destination since the mid-20th century among Hollywood A-listers and influential politicians alike. Now, the Belgian seaside staple’s public areas have undergone a meticulous makeover combining homegrown architect Glenn Sestig’s signature minimalism and deft use of materials like wood, stone, and brass that exude sophistication and warmth. 

The intervention starts in the double-height lobby and into the newly opened La Rigue at La Réserve, Michelin-starred chef Peter Goossens’ seaside-inspired restaurant, where guests enjoy steak tartare, vol-au-vent, and salads with freshly peeled North Sea shrimps on classic Jean-Michel Frank and Christian Liaigre furnishings under a feature ceiling inspired by the region’s thatched roofs. Sculptural wall art, meanwhile, takes cues from shoreline sand formations and site-specific land art by Belgian sculptor Panamarenko. More is on the docket: Sestig is currently fine-tuning the hotel’s spa, wellness areas, and a floating pontoon on the lake, kitted out with shaded loungers and its very own bar. —Ryan Waddoups

Thom Browne’s forthcoming monograph. Image courtesy of Phaidon

Thom Browne will celebrate two decades of his label by releasing a major monograph.

Thom Browne, the CFDA chairman who recently presented his first couture collection in Paris, will soon publish a major monograph. Teaming up with his life partner, Andrew Bolton, curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, Browne has written a coffee table book to celebrate his label’s 20th anniversary. Simply titled Thom Browne, the 420-page book will be released in October by Phaidon and will include archival images, new photography by Johnny Dufort, and an introduction by Bolton. The book will provide insight into Browne’s fashion journey and will be available both in physical and digital formats.

Boardwalk Pictures is working on a film that sheds new light on Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Boardwalk Pictures has revealed a new project, King Pleasure, a feature documentary about Jean-Michel Basquiat. The film will be directed by Quinn Wilson, Lizzo’s former creative director, and has received exclusive access to the late painter’s archival material and original artworks. The documentary aims to present a fresh narrative about Basquiat, incorporating never-before-seen home movies, notebooks, photographs, animation, and interviews, to shed light on him as both an artist and an individual. “Jean-Michel understood that art lives on beyond generations and that after his death, his art would continue to reveal new layers of meaning to our shared human experience,” say Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux, his sisters. “With so many false depictions and narratives surrounding the life of our brother, we’re thrilled to recenter the legacy of the Jean-Michel we knew and loved dearly.” 

The newly redesigned Tate Modern cafe. Photography by Jack Hobhouse

The Tate Modern cafe undergoes a welcome makeover by local studio Holland Harvey.

London architecture studio Holland Harvey has given the Tate Modern cafe a makeover. Now named Corner, the redesigned cafe has become a versatile all-day space and features a variety of elements and zones with furniture designed to serve different purposes, including specially made pieces by Goldfinger, tabletops crafted using reused Tate Coffee grounds, and flexible seating, such as a circular bench area that can transform into a DJ booth. 

Art Mumbai is slated to become the Indian city’s first marquee art fair in November.

Mumbai, India’s financial capital and most populous city, will host its first major art fair, Art Mumbai, from Nov. 16–19. The fair will take place at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse and feature around 50 exhibitors, including leading Indian galleries and overseas galleries specializing in South Asian art. The event marks a significant development for India’s art scene, which has seen the strength of its contemporary art market grow, and Mumbai’s emergence as a vibrant creative hub, with new galleries and cultural venues opening in recent years. 

Robert A.M. Stern Architects modernizes a museum at the University of Notre Dame.

Robert A.M. Stern Architects has shared details of the transformation of the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame, slated to open in South Bend this fall. The 70,000-square-foot facility will house a vast collection of more than 31,000 art objects—one of the largest for any American university—along with exhibition spaces designed to foster ongoing dialogues with art for Notre Dame’s students. The modernization includes a new multi-level atrium space, thematic galleries showcasing diverse art collections, and a maker space for artists. The museum officially opens to the public on Nov. 30.

“Ágora” (1986–2023) by Eduardo Kac. Image courtesy of Celestis

Today’s attractive distractions:

Katamari Damacy keeps rolling on without Keita Takahashi, its original creator.

An ancient Czech Republic glass workshop may have hosted sacred rituals.

Internet cafes may be wholly obsolete, but these last few are holding strong.

Eduardo Kac has been waiting three decades to send his hologram to space.

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