Dutch Designweek Expo Building
Project information
Location: Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Project type: Temporary Exhibition Pavilion
Design focus: Architectural & Conceptual Design
Project Overview
This academic project involved the design of a temporary exhibition pavilion for Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, showcasing the work of Limburg-born architect Jo Coenen.
Inspired by the temporary nature of the pavilion, the design was developed around the concept of a “viewing box”. The building takes the form of a dark cubic volume with a large opening that provides views into the exhibition from both the public square and Willemstraat. Visitors moving through the interior become part of a constantly changing scene, creating a visual connection between the exhibition and the surrounding public space and inviting passers-by to enter and experience it themselves.
The viewing-box concept is reinforced by positioning the glazing deep within the façade and giving the exterior of the cube a dark appearance, emphasizing the contrast between the enclosed outer volume and the illuminated exhibition space within.
The interior concept draws inspiration from the hilly landscape of southern Limburg, the region where Jo Coenen was born. The exhibition floors are therefore arranged as a sequence of stepped levels, creating an abstract interpretation of a hill within the cubic volume and guiding visitors gradually upwards through the exhibition.
Several architectural elements characteristic of Jo Coenen’s work were incorporated into the design, including a cantilevered roof, slender circular columns and a large vertical void connecting the different levels. At the uppermost level, a large window frames a direct view towards the Vesteda Tower, one of Jo Coenen’s prominent buildings in Eindhoven, establishing a deliberate visual relationship between the exhibition and his built work in the city.
Deliverables
• Architectural design
• Floor plans, sections and elevations
• 3D model
• Presentation drawings
