Design route Strijp

Nano graffiti Boyscout Designer

Design: Bouke Bruins Big, bigger, biggest. It seemed that street art in public spaces increasingly had to be bigger, more striking, and more colorful. Until Slovenian artist NAME: came up with a compact answer to that: make the world's smallest ever graffiti. Nanograffiti. His work is spread across several places in Europe. For the ten pieces in Eindhoven, he sought collaboration with both artists from Eindhoven and abroad. The ultra-small artwork here at Videolab is by Bouke Bruins, aka Boyscout Designer. He links the world of design to that of the scouts. He argues for instance that the design of public spaces makes visitors lazy, unlike scouts. Scouts are expected to interact with their environment respectfully. A serious tic-tac-toe game between art and science could be the solution. Spotting nano graffiti with the naked eye is impossible. Fortunately, you will find a QR code next to all the works that you can scan to view the artwork. The exact coordinates are 51.4456293, 5.4602114. The artwork is on the wall to the left above the trash can, right next to the Videolab entrance.

 ^{Image: Boyscout Designer} 

Chinese Pavilion

Design: Zhao Chen and Van Aken This modern Chinese building was a gift to Eindhoven from our Chinese sister city Nanjing. We received this gift in 2005, but due to some bumps on the bureaucratic road, it took until 2021 for the building to be completed. One of those hurdles was that Nanjing wanted us to use artisan-baked bricks from their city. A bit of a struggle to get them here, but the result is worth it! Chinese architect Zhao Chen is responsible for the design of the pavilion. Van Aken Concepts, Architecture & Engineering translated his design into Dutch regulations and made this impressive building a reality.

 ^{Photo: Max Kneefel} 

Fakkel-S

Design: Har Hollands It takes the center stage, this last remaining Philips chimney on Strijp-S. This iconic masterpiece has graced this spot since 1928. The 51-meter high chimney was part of a (now demolished) ceramics laboratory. It was built by Philip 'Sjang' Geelen, a chimney celebrity from the last century who filled the whole of Limburg and Brabant with chimneys. The one on Strijp-S is one of the few chimneys still standing. Not just any chimney, then! In honor of GLOW 2012, Har Hollands designed a light artwork with LED animation for the chimney: Fakkel-S. Now it is shrouded in a red glow every night, with a burning flame at the top. The flame is a metaphor for passing on the torch to future generations. This is exactly what is happening at Strijp-S as the area constantly adapts to the city's needs.

 ^{Photo: Nanda Sluijsman} 

De Geluksvogels

Design: Hugo Vrijdag Fly along with these colorful flying machines: “De Geluksvogels” (The Lucky Birds). Hugo Vrijdag was inspired by the story “De Uitvinder en de Verdronken Rivier'” (The inventor and the drowned river) to design these special swings. In this story, a young girl and an inventor build a bird-shaped flying machine, with which she and her friends search for the cause of a dried-up river. Hugo made the swings for De Ontdekfabriek. Here, children are inspired, through adventure stories, to design and build for themselves. Want to know how that works? After having a go on the swings, check out De Ontdekfabriek and prepare to be amazed. Fun fact: You can enjoy the film “De Uitvinders en de Verdronken Rivier” and check out the original film prop (a large bird made of wood and steel) in De Ontdekfabriek. In fact: you can also take part in a workshop where you can build a model of the bird!

 ^{Photo: Max Kneefel} 

Big Yellow Clay Chair

Design: Maarten Baas Maarten Baas designed a playful building called the Bakermat for the Marconiplein in Eindhoven. His inspiration? The whimsical way children draw a house. You might wonder, what's the link between that building and this chair? We'll tell you all about it! In honor of Dutch Design Week 2017, Maarten had two gigantic versions of his iconic clay chair made for the construction site of the Bakermat. Now that the building is finished, you can admire one of these chairs here at Strijp-S.  ^{Photo: Nick Bookelaar} 

Broeinest

You are standing in front of Glasgebouw, and you probably guessed it: glass used to be produced here. In fact, this is where the first Philips light bulb was made! This impressive building was built in 1947 on behalf of Philips. The lamp manufacturer liked to keep full control of the entire line of production and decided to build its own glass factory at Strijp-S. In 2015, Broeinest materials library opened its doors in Glasgebouw. At Broeinest, interior professionals are inspired by unique products and materials. Various partners show their collections and innovations here, and you can dive into the books in a library filled with documentation and reference works. Would you like to take a look inside? Feel free to ask if it's convenient; during quiet times, you're welcome to have a look around! Or check the behind the scenes video below!

 ^{Photo: Jeffrey de Bie} 

Big Corten Steel Letters

Design: Snode Vormgevers Feeling a bit lost? The enormous corten steel letters (for metal enthusiasts: that's iron mixed with copper, phosphorus, silicon, nickel, and chromium) from Snode Vormgevers will guide you. These letters represent the buildings they're placed in front of: A stands for Anton (Philips), G for his brother Gerard, and AF for Apparatenfabriek, the old appliances factory.  ^{Photo: Snode Vormgevers} 

New Order of Fashion

A lot is happening behind all these glass facades. Creative companies, various catering establishments, and inspiring exhibition spaces have recently settled in this old Philips factory. That includes the New Order of Fashion Lab. New Order of Fashion (NOof) is an international platform for fashion talent. They drive the transition to a sustainable and circular fashion industry through radical experimentation, innovation, and co-creation. Here, fashion and textile designers find the tools and the creative environment to innovate sustainably and circularly. NOof also organizes various exhibitions, offering fashion talents a stage.

 ^{Photo: Max Kneefel} 

Trudo Tower

Design: Stefano Boero You can forget the name Bosco Verticale (in full: Bosco Verticale Trudo Vertical Forest) in five minutes; no one uses it. Here in Eindhoven, we call this green boy the Trudo Toren or Trudo Tower. The Italian architect Stefano Boero designed the tower, which has set many tongues wagging recently. It's one of the most discussed apartment complexes in the Netherlands. It has 18 floors with 125 social-housing units. Residents share their tower with up to 125 trees and 5,200 shrubs and plants. All that greenery absorbs 50 metric tons of CO2 annually, and it supplies 13.75 metric tons of oxygen. A green tour de force!

 ^{Photo: Cleo Goossens} 

Interior Design Bakkie040

Design: Bygg Design & Architecture In 2022, the modular container city Plug-in-City got a wonderful addition: Bakkie040. Here, you can grab a coffee with a special story. The people serving you are (former) homeless people looking to start fresh in the job market. But hey, this is a design route, so let's not dwell on the coffee.

Bygg Design & Architecture crafted both the interior and exterior of Bakkie040. The exterior is composed of three shipping containers, with reused windows from the nearby Veemgebouw forming the glass panels. Inside, the space features pine wood previously used in the 100-year Groot Eindhoven exhibition. The entire structure is designed to be easily relocated, promoting sustainability and circularity, mirroring Plug-in-City's ethos.

Fun fact: The wooden hands on the sidewalk are created by artist Tijs Rooijakkers.

 ^{Photo: Barbara Medo} 

Plug-in-City

Initiator: Housing corporation Trudo This special container construction in front of you is Plug-in-City. It's a creative testing ground created by designers, architects, artists, and other professionals who wanted to bundle their expertise in a circular economy. And it's been a success. All of the studios, offices, shops, and event spaces belonging to this community are located in recycled freight containers. All other materials are borrowed or second-hand. This container city started small, but it has made a big impression. Plug-in-City won a Circular-Economy Award in 2017, presented by ABN AMRO. Current pluggers include Bygg Architecture & Design, MU, and Bakkie040.

 ^{Photo: Max Kneefel} 

Light art on the Leidingstraat

Design: Har Hollands The pipes of Leidingstraat have been out of use for decades, but light artist Har Hollands takes us back in time. Architect Piet Oudolf asked Har to provide the light art for Leidingstraat. His artwork, made up of LED lamps, creates the illusion that everything is still flowing through the tubes. White, green, and blue LEDs flash across the pipes at different speeds. This gives the suggestion, for example, of slowly flowing water, or electricity flashing past.

 ^{Photo: Igor Vermeer} 

MU Hybrid Art House

You are standing in front of the facade of MU Hybrid Art House. MU was founded in 1998 to merge several small initiatives in visual arts, architecture, pop culture, and design. They have been here at Strijp-S since 2005. At MU, it is not about what art is but what art can be. They investigate this together with mainly young makers and a broad international audience. MU presents hybrid art and takes you along on the latest artistic, technological, and social developments. Exhibitions at MU can be unpredictable, playful, moving, stimulating, and visionary, inviting you to actively relate to the works and the world around you. In addition to exhibitions, MU also organizes educational programs and workshops under the name: Play&Learn. With this, MU introduces young and old to art and visual culture in a playful way, and they take you on a tour of the latest creative techniques used by artists.

 ^{Photo: Nick Bookelaar} 

Smart street lighting

Design: Schréder en Het Lux Lab The street lamps you're walking under might not seem very special, but they definitely are! In 2014, this lighting was one of the Netherlands' first experiments with smart street lighting. The 500 LED lamps can be individually controlled with a simple app for smartphones, and the possibilities are endless. For example, the color of the lamps can be changed to create a festive atmosphere on the street. The lamps are also connected to a weather station so visitors can be warned, for example, of an upcoming storm. So the light really serves the residents and nature, making people and animals want to stay here.

 ^{Photo: Het Lux Lab} 

Leidingstraat

Design: Piet Oudolf If you look up here, you will see an interesting network of pipes and ducts. In the Philips era, gas, water, and electricity were transported through these pipes to the various factories on Strijp-S. This street is not called De Leidingstraat (Pipeline Street) for nothing. When Trudo was busy with plans for Strijp-S in 2012, they asked architect Piet Oudolf to create a design for the street. Piet wanted to preserve the industrial past of the street's factory past while bringing greenery and vibrancy to the streetscape. His concept was a deciduous corridor – a tunnel of plants – with wild and lush greenery on all sides. He wanted to create the impression that the plants were blowing in from all sides. And he succeeded! The design and engineering firm Carve designed the structures in the street. The stairs, planters, and viewpoints. Climb the blue stairs for a fantastic view over the pipes and the Ketelhuisplein.

 ^{Photo: Max Kneefel} 

HIER

Design: Snode Vormgevers

In 2013, Strijp-S looked quite different from what it does now. It was a vast industrial area where you could easily get lost. That's why Trudo, the developer of Strijp-S, asked Snode Vormgevers to create a meeting point.

One advantage of such an industrial area is that you have plenty of exciting materials to create beautiful things with. For the HIER meeting point, Snode Vormgevers reused old water valves.

Are you waiting a while for your friends? Feel free to climb on the structure!

 ^{Photo: Nick Bookelaar} 

Entrance to the Klokgebouw

Design: Snode Vormgevers This part of the Klokgebouw serves as the entrance to the creative hubs within the building. So unfortunately, you can't actually enter the Klokgebouw here, but you're welcome to take a peek at the unique entrance.

This metal reception booth is a creation of Snode Vormgevers, one of the original tenants here.

 ^{Photo: Snode Vormgevers} 

Klokgebouw

Design: Ingenieursbureau Philips You won't miss the Klokgebouw as you wander through Strijp-S. This impressive structure houses over 100 entrepreneurs from the creative industry. Since its completion in 1928, the Klokgebouw has boasted a vibrant and diverse history. It was once a hub for Philips, producing Philite (the brand's bakelite product) right here. With 100 companies, all sorts of things are happening in Klokgebouw. You will find design studios, communication agencies, and many creative entrepreneurs. At POPEI (on the left side of the building), you can grab a bite to eat and listen to upcoming musicians. Or you can spend the night over at Blue Collar Hotel. On the first floor of Klokgebouw you will find a large event space. Here, you will be treated to the coolest parties, exhibitions, and events all year round. From Dutch Design Week to techno festivals.

 ^{Photo: Twycer} 

Haasje Over

Design: VMX Architects Across from the Trudo Tower, the Trudo housing corporation has placed another eye-catching building: Haasje Over. You might be thinking: "What a crazy name." True! It's the working title VMX Architects gave the project, and it just stuck. A logical name, though, since the orange rabbit is right about to jump over skatepark Area 51, just like in the old schoolyard game. That characteristic is also what makes the building so special. Building more homes is important for the city, as are iconic places like Area 51. So, Trudo decided to get creative with the space and build over the skate park. A year after its completion, another lovely design was incorporated into Haasje Over: a PowerNEST on the roof. This is a revolutionary way to generate sustainable electricity. The nest consists of four wind turbines and 296 solar panels that collectively generate as much as 140 megawatt hours annually.

 ^{Photo: Norbert van Onna} 

Roof extension on Veemgebouw

Design: Caruso St. John You'll find the Veemgebouw here on the edge of Strijp-S. A national monument where the past and the future have surprisingly found each other. Among the various characteristic building elements, you can try out a variety of interesting products, dive into a virtual game world, and you can even live on the roof. The Veemgebouw is a unique piece of architecture. It is the only building on Strijp-S that was built during the occupation in the Second World War. This can be seen in the concrete 'mushroom columns' that kept Philips' old equipment warehouse firmly upright. On the facade, you can see that the building is divided into three equal segments, and you can count the number of floors by the transverse white strips. Since 2022, three floors have been added to Veem. Architect Caruso St. John already designed this sustainable structure in 2011 for Trudo, the building's owner. After much deliberation and building, the first inhabitants have moved in.

 ^{Photo: Trudo} 

Hands that carry Strijps Bultje

Design: Lotte Verbakel and Niels Bakkerus We all carry the city together, don't we? We take that quite literally here at Strijp-S. Just look at these many hands that carry Strijps Bultje. Eindhoven artist and designer Niels Bakkerus taught SintLucas students how to start from an idea and create real works of art in a public space. And he immediately put that lesson into practice because he chose to execute the design of one of his students. Lotte Verbakel was the lucky one. Her idea of hand graffiti was crowned the winner by both the municipality and the residents. It's really cool that the hands are those of the locals. Residents of Strijp-S and Drents Dorp could register for this project and have their hands immortalized under the bridge. So you could walk past someone helping to carry Strijps Bultje.

 ^{Photo: Nadia ten Wolde} 

Buste Gerard Philips

Design: Andreas Hetfeld You have statues, and then you have Statues. This one is 7 meters wide, 8 meters tall, and weighs 23,000 kilograms. For those unfamiliar, it's Gerard Philips, the founder of the company. The bust pays tribute to Gerard as an engineer, manufacturer, and his contribution to the region's development.

Gerard is here temporary: he's intended for the new Victoriapark in the city center. However, this location is very fitting. The Gloeilampplantsoen (which translates to the Incandescent Lamp Public Garden) was established by Philips in 1955 as a 'green relaxation space' for employees. The square's paths are shaped like an incandescent lamp, with the idea that it could be seen from space if we leave the planet. Very future-minded!

The public park was neglected for a while, but not anymore. Owner GEVA hired design firm h8 to restore it to its full green glory as a symbol of Eindhoven's industry. Trefpunt Groen Eindhoven ensures everything goes smoothly.

Kelderman en Van Noort

Founders: Yingyi Luo and Erik Slijpen It may take a bit of searching, but you'll find the monumental school building of Kelderman & Van Noort (KEVN) just outside the Strijp-S. This is an exhibition space, restaurant, and incubator all in one. KEVN is a place where graphic art, live music, and that homey pub feel come together. Nearly everything at KEVN has a story. The arches of the extension are inverted rafters from an old pigpen. The concrete slabs on the ground first formed the foundation of Plug-in-City at Strijp-S. The bar bench was gathered from a defunct bowling alley, and the double doors were found on Marktplaats. The design and the hunting for all the materials were done by Superuse Studios, in Rotterdam. The permeable tiles in the front are from Rain(a)Way, the Eindhoven design and consulting firm that's also in the building. You can enjoy international cuisine, worldly cocktails, cold beer, homemade lemonade, or snacks in the new pavilion. They regularly host parties and theme nights where every design lover feels right at home. The school building itself has three exhibition spaces with a strong focus on graphic and illustrative work. The building also houses eight studio spaces with all kinds of creatives. From text writers to social designers. As you walk back toward the beltway, take a look back. In the distance, you'll see the Bakermat, a playful and adventurous building designed by Maarten Baas. Click on the pin there for more information!

 ^{Photo: Patrick Meis} 

Trouble Light

Design: Atelier van Asseldonk Need a little color to brighten your day? Look for Trouble Light—one of the most renowned lamps from the Atelier van Asseldonk collection—among the pillars of Building TQ.

Despite its 'dark' name, the lamp itself is brightly colored and cheerful.

 ^{Photo: Max Kneefel} 

Contour

Design: Aptum Building TQ in Strijp-T is a hub of creativity and technology in Eindhoven. However, its design doesn't quite reflect that, so the building owners asked light designers Aptum to create a standout light installation for the staircase: functional inside, spectacular outside.

The result is a fairy-tale-like light installation with pastel-toned neon that transforms the building in the evening and night. The best way to view this light spectacle is by taking the evening train from Tilburg to Eindhoven, but you can also just walk by and look up.

Silo Living

Design: Stella van Beers You'll have to take a bit of a detour, but on the edge of Strijp-T, you'll find a well-known Dutch object in a rather unexpected place: a feed silo. You are looking at Stella Beers' graduation project. This young designer graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2021 with the Silo Living project. Stella discovered in her research that farmers need fewer and fewer of these silos on their farms and that they leave the old silos sitting around unused on their property. A shame, Stella thought, and she designed a modular system to transform this silo into a seven-and-a-half-meter-high palace. With two floors and lots of natural light, this small house is a great place to stay. The bad news? You can't actually enter the silo, but via the 'more information' button, you'll see a video of the building process and get a sneak peek inside!

 ^{Photo: Max Kneefel} 

Scheublin & Lindeman

Founders: Lotty Lindeman and Wouter Scheublin Lotty Lindeman and Wouter Scheublin have worked individually from a joint studio since 2006. Lotty's refined work shows a dialogue between man and object, while Wouter's work shows a fascination for construction and mechanics. Since 2015, Lotty and Wouter have joined forces in one design studio. They design various products with an eye for detail, color, and uncommon materials. Lotty Lindeman and Wouter Scheublin launched their own design label as real producers: Haave. Under this label, they release functional products that give your environment a particular character in a playful way. This design studio isn't open to the public, but you can take a peek behind the scenes with this video from Thisiseindhoven.com:

 ^{Photo: Scheublin & Lindeman} 

Piet Hein Eek

Founder: Piet Hein Eek Since 2010, Strijp-R has been home to the workshop and showroom of world-renowned designer Piet Hein Eek. Eek had actually wanted to go to Strijp-S, but he was smitten by the enormous potential of Strijp-R. Now we can't talk about Piet Hein Eek without mentioning Strijp-R or vice versa. A true pioneer, Piet was committed to transforming this area into a unique location. It all started with a workshop, but soon Piet expanded his empire with a restaurant, showroom, store, café, gallery, hotel, bar, and french fry shop. Miraculously, there was still space left over. So he invited other creative businesses and design studios to move into the RK complex. Companies like Studio RENS, Scheublin & Lindeman, Megawatt, and George&Harrison. He also rents out workshops and gallery spaces. Piet made Strijp-R one of the largest creative hotspots in the city.

 ^{Photo: Nick Bookelaar} 

RAG Pompgebouw

Design: Eek & Dekkers In its former life, the RAG Pompgebouw (pump station) supplied nearby factories in Strijp-R with compressed air and vacuum. While those factories have been replaced by homes, the pump station building was given a new lease on life. Designer Piet Hein Eek collaborated with architect Iggie Dekkers to transform this industrial building into living and working spaces. The result is a bright, industrial-style building with an intriguing inner walkway.

 ^{Photo: Daniera Chrisoph} 

Raw Color

Founders: Daniera ter Haar & Christoph Brach Raw Color is a research-based design studio that deals with color and everything related to it. Combining graphic and product design with photography creates special projects and products. Raw Color is an initiative from Daniera ter Haar and Christoph Brach. They studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven, where they now regularly teach students.

Fan of their work? Then you're in luck! Raw Color launched a super colorful collection for IKEA in early 2023, the TESAMMANS collection. You are not allowed in here, but feel free to take a look at their website!

 ^{Photo: Raw Color} 

Footbridge apartment

Design: Houben / Van Mierlo At two and a half meters wide, this apartment isn't very spacious, but you have to make some sacrifices to live in one of the most unique residences in Eindhoven. This iconic footbridge from 1954 used to connect engineers from one side of the cathode-ray tube factory that stood here to the other. When the factories were demolished to develop the area into a residential district, the bridge remained standing. For many years, it stood alone in an empty lot. Now, architecture firm Houben / Van Mierlo has transformed this footbridge into a distinctive apartment, offering a glimpse into the industrial past of this area.

You'll have to peek from a distance, as the apartment is now rented out.

 ^{Photo: Max Kneefel} 

Zoompark

Design: Frits Philips Strijp-R is framed by the Zoompark (zoom translates to hem, as the park literally hems the area), a legacy of Frits Philips. Frits believed in the beneficial effect of plants and trees. He wanted his factory sites to be designed so that his employees had a healthy dose of greenery on their way to and from work. He played an active role in this himself: during his travels, he collected trees and shipped them to Eindhoven. This is how he not only ensured a beautiful view for his employees but also more biodiversity in the city. Preserving that greenery was a high priority when the architectural firms Diederendirrix and Buro Lubbers made plans to turn Strijp-R into a residential area in 2009. The developers then did everything possible to preserve as many trees in the Zoompark as possible and even planted a few more. They managed to transform this old factory site into a spatial and green living environment.

 ^{Photo: Max Kneefel} 

Drents Dorp

Architect: C. Smith

Drents Dorp, a village within the big city. During Philips’ explosive growth in the 1920s, the company struggled to find enough workers in the region. As a result, around 180 families from Drenthe moved to Eindhoven and were given their own neighborhood between the factory sites.

Today, the neighborhood has a total of 1,350 houses, most of which are built in the same style. A distinctive feature of these homes is their enormous backyards. The architect designed these especially for the working families, who were used to growing their own vegetables and fruit in the large backyards of rural Drenthe.

Gelderlandplein forms the center of the neighborhood. This part of Eindhoven was initially called the 'Gelderse Wijk,' as workers from Gelderland were the dominant group. When the people from Drenthe took over, the name changed to Drents Dorp. Philips didn’t make a fuss about such changes at all. That kind of agility is probably the key to their success, who knows!

+++

This is the last point of the design route! If you walk under Strijps Bultje (the viaduct with the hands!) and follow Torenallee, you’ll automatically end up back at the starting point near the Portiersloge.

 ^{Photo: Max Kneefel}