Verslag VillAetA DiederenDirrix

Patricia Calvino ging als introducé mee met deze excursie. Zij maakte het verslag:

We met at Eindhoven Station at 10:15 in the morning. It was my first meeting so I was kind of nervous to meet the group. The moment I arrived I got introduced to everyone, we got our bikes and we started the Diederendirrix Route. First Stop: University of Eindhoven. 

Universiteit Campus Eindhoven:

We entered the campus through the main road. This entrance is a wide green axis that organizes all the buildings in the campus. Thanks to it every single building is related to the others creating a campus with many buildings and very different between them but all connected.

Our first stop was the Ceres Ketelhuis Gebouw. The old building now houses a research department of the university. It is very interesting the challenge of the illumination, ventilation and temperature control in a building that had a totally different use to what has now.

We turned 90º and we walked to the MetaForum building designed by Ector Hoogstad Architecten studio. A very interesting element of this building is the “semi-outdoor” entrance hall that is designed to hold many events like conferences or concerts. The studio decided to leave the old structure as a hall and add a whole new building on top of it to place all the facilities demanded in the project in the TU/e campus.

We went then to the Vertigo, the architecture department building, by Diederendirrix Studio. A glass building where, again, one of the most important things is the illumination, ventilation and temperature control of the inside. The glass skin is covered with an image of the Sagrada Familia under construction to remember that architecture and its students are a never ending master project. To enter the building you have to pass through a covered outdoor space which makes you feel you are already inside. The first room, and entrance room is an auditorium. After it you arrive to the main hall where you can see through a double high space the university model workshop.

From the University we ride our bikes until the city centre, we stop at Dynamo. Dynamo is a building next to Catharina Church. It is a place where many activities can be done. Concerts, music events, conferences, there is even a floor for sport activities. Dynamo is built in coloured concrete. This characteristic was inspired by the colour tones of the church in front of it. Inside its colourful walls really catches your eye as well as the metallic constructive details. Every corner of the building has an excellent, high qualified and though design detail.

After Dynamo we drove next to the Witte Dame to do our first stop to have lunch in a small restaurant called De Binnenstad where the owner explained us the evolution of the business and how all the furniture was Dutch design. After an amazing meal we took our bikes again. It was moment to go and see Stads Villa. I remember when I arrived to Eindhoven I walked in front of this house many times and always I thought how this house would be inside and finally I could get inside and see it! We entered a private house with three floors all connected through a concrete stair. What I liked the most was the house furniture, especially the black wooden shelf which could be use also as a division wall.

We drove to visit Central Eindhoven a housing complex formed by many two floor houses and a tower next to the park. We had the chance to get inside one of the apartments in the tower. We could appreciate the high quality of the details in the interior design.

And from this point we took our bikes and we ride to the old Philips factory area were we entered to “Anton” Building. The old factory was converted in social loft housing. Through oval holes in the existent structure they could make connection between the different floors to access the apartments. We had the opportunity to go inside an apartment where all the furniture was wooden hand made. We could also go to the top floor terrace. An amazing view as well as a relaxing area waited for us there.

We left the Philips area and we started our trip the Eindhoven International School, an old military quarter converted now in a private school by DiederenDirrix Studio. It was very interesting how all the buildings were connected through the library underground, which was illuminated by skylights. After a walk through the school we went to Woensel-West neighbourhood. When you enter this neighbourhood you feel you have moved from the Netherlands to a more Mediterranean area.

Finally we went to Piet Hein Eek Design headquarters. There we walked through a new and very modern neighbourhood. There wouldn’t have been better way to finish this tour through Eindhoven, a last drink in the Piet Hein Eek Bar/Restaurant. A place filled with design pieces.

We came back to Eindhoven Station, it was time to leave our bikes and say goodbye. It has been for me an extremely interesting route where I have met several places in the city I live but more important, I have met a lot of interesting people. I would like to thank the way all AetA members helped me all through the tour in order I could understand everything, thanks to the group I enjoyed it a lot.

Especially I wanted to thank Bert Dirrix for all his explanations.

But among everything I want to thank Harrie van Helmond for giving me the opportunity to join this interesting architecture group. I hope I can repeat soon.

Patricia Calvino