Responses by Dimitri Jeurissen, partner and executive creative director of Base Design Brussels, and Thomas Léon, design director, Base Design.

Background: “Our project aimed to position the Brussels-based art museum Kanal as not just a museum but an extension of the city,” says Thomas Léon, “an open, multidisciplinary cultural organism public space, made of multiple energies, a large variety of content and programs, and multiple audiences, from international cultural visitors to local communities and emerging creative voices.”

“Kanal is part of the Brussels Canal Plan, a territorial redevelopment strategy that began in 2015 to transform the canal’s industrial axis into a mixed-use, sustainable, and well-connected district,” explains Dimitri Jeurissen. “It emphasizes housing; public spaces; soft, active mobility; and the preservation of economic activity through a collaborative approach.”

Design thinking: “The concept of ‘flow/overflow’ emerged early in the process as a foundational philosophy capturing the living rhythm of Kanal,” says Léon. “It then became the mental image that fueled all creative explorations: from strategic framework to type design, motion behaviors and sonic signature. It translated into a fully integrated visual, auditory and behavioral system that moves, expands and contracts like a living organism.

“Our aim was to build a brand that holds all of the complexities of Kanal: one made of multitudes, constant flux and fluctuating energies,” he continues. “One that invites in as much as it reaches out. One that fluidly stretches between the quietness of an exhibition room to the intensity of a nightclub.”

Challenges: “Projects of this scale always come with a certain degree of complexity and uncertainty,” Léon explains. “Aiming for a relevant answer requires a deep understanding of the project, its nuances and various stakes and stakeholders. For Kanal, it has been a two-year-long deep dive—challenging, but highly rewarding and enriching.”

“The challenges were indeed numerous: First, being selected through an open European RFP. Then, daring to be bold in our proposal,” says Jeurissen. “This was followed by developing a deep understanding of all the objectives and challenges of the Kanal Foundation: onboarding all stakeholders into our process and ensuring strong internal communication, managing a multidisciplinary creative team, and making sure the implementation lived up to our ambitions while keeping up the pace. And then, of course, there was the context of governance: the Brussels-Capital Region has not had a new, fully formed government since the June 2024 elections, marking a record-breaking period of more than 600 days without a functional executive.”

Favorite details: “Not a detail, but the decisions to bring Kiosk Radio on board and commission Vica Pacheco for sonic branding really stand out,” Léon says. “The work itself is fantastic, but even more, it just felt right to commission a local artist to create something custom for a project like Kanal. In our field, that kind of alignment doesn’t happen often, and that’s what makes it something we can be proud of.”

“How a concept like flow/overflow can drive the overall project with energy and poetry—from sound, typography to imagery—inviting all aspects of the project to contribute to the idea,” adds Jeurissen.

New lessons: “Observing from the inside how such a large institution like Kanal gradually takes shape was enlightening,” Léon says. “It does feel complex, but at the same time, it doesn’t. In the end, it takes a couple of strong convictions to steer a large, complex plan of actions.

“The identity extends far beyond a visual system, forming a holistic, multisensory brand universe expressed through visual identity, motion, sound, tone of voice and behavioral principles,” he continues. “Seeing how this fully integrated system stretches from large-scale international exhibitions to everyday encounters in public spaces clarified how 360-degree world-building helps align experiences and audiences.”

Visual influences: “Honestly, we explored a lot for the Kanal project, but we didn’t really start with clear references. We didn’t know exactly what we were looking for; we only knew we didn’t want it to feel like a museum,” Léon explains. “We’ve obviously been influenced by the proximity to the canal; the industrial character of the building; and Kanal’s conscious, do-it-yourself approach to production. That brought in a sense of roughness, fluidity, expressiveness and experimentation, with a joyful disregard for refinement. Those qualities shaped the visual language and gave the system its distinctive, lived-in energy.”

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