Temple of Renewal is an exhibition by Tria Amalia Ningsih as part of Design Fest Gent 2026. The exhibition presents part of her ongoing PhD research at KU Leuven through a small architectural installation made from My-stone, a mineralised mycelium composite developed during her research. The material uses fungi and mineralisation processes to bind mineral aggregates, including construction and demolition waste. Inspired by the layered form of Borobudur in Indonesia, the installation is built as a small monument that can be assembled, dismantled, and renewed. Some of the materials can also be reused as the starting point for a new generation of My-stone. Through the installation, the exhibition explores how building materials can continue into another cycle of making after their first use. The exhibition will take place at Café Edward in Ghent from 3–11 October, and will be open daily from 14:00 to 19:00.

I explore living materials and regenerative design through biological processes. My work looks at how architecture can live in balance with its surroundings—where materials are built and nurtured through living processes.

I am now continuing this journey as a PhD researcher at KU Leuven, working between the Faculty of Architecture and the Faculty of Engineering Technology. My research, Compostable Cities, explores how natural and biological processes can help us create materials and architecture that renew themselves instead of being discarded.

For me, architecture is a shared act of care—it learns from the land, grows with time, and finds beauty in regeneration.