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VONK Museum

Biobased museum showcasing the history and future of the Eindhoven region
With the expansion and transformation of the preHistorisch Dorp into Museumpark Vonk, Eindhoven will gain a unique museum building. VONK is the first museum building in the Netherlands to use biobased materials and sustainable techniques on a large scale and in many different ways. The green roof garden, supported by an impressive wooden construction and outer walls of lime hemp, make the building look like a section of the landscape that rises above the ground.

2023

Stichting Eindhoven Museum

programme
Introduction Show, Collection Timeline, Maakschuur, Offices, Auditorium, Restaurant, Museum Shop, Terrace, Walkable Roof, Green Roof, Observation Point.
in cooperation with
Tinker Imagineers
Aardlab
Vitruvius
Okko
Van Helvoirt
Civil Support
Bureau Bouwkunde
Deers
Peutz
Techniplan
From Eindhoven Museum to Museum VONK
Eindhoven Museum has been around since 2012, formed by combining the Kempenland Museum and the Prehistoric Village. The Kempenland Museum's collection (about 25,000 items) has been waiting for a new home since then. Now, under the name VONK, the museum is starting a new chapter. The Prehistoric Village will be expanded with a new park and museum building. This building will house a timeline in which objects from the collection will be shown and hosts an introductory show about the area's history. The most dynamic part of the building is the Maaschuur, where 'sparks' of history are created together with visitors. These objects represent historical events where 'the spark ignited' and changes were set in motion that have helped shape the Eindhoven region.
From Eindhoven Museum to Museum VONK
An aerial view of the VONK museum building with the new museum park behind it.
The building rises and detaches itself from the ground. Together with the green roof, it creates the image of a structure that has been carved out of the surrounding landscape.
Site
The roof of the museum slopes downward towards the Genneper Parken, allowing access onto the roof from the terras.
Site
The Prehistoric Village is located in the Genneper Parken, one of the green wedges of Eindhoven. This wedge is formed by two streams, the Dommel and the Tongelreep, which merge in the adjacent Stadswandelpark. The agricultural cultural-historical landscape offers a look back in time. Rijschool Leeuw will be moved to another location for the construction of the museum. This will allow the current site to be transformed into one part museum park and another part public city park. The Prehistoric Village will be expanded and will receive new time zones in which recent events in the past of the Eindhoven region are explained. The landscape redevelopment of the new city park is based on the situation of approximately two centuries ago, which means that it fits in well with the historical character of the area. The museum building is placed in line with the original parcel structure, perpendicular to the stream.
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The viewpoint on the roof offers a panoramic view of the skyline of Eindhoven and the Genneper Parken.
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The two top corners of the building have a height of 12 meters, while the lower parts are 3 meters high. Driving along Boutenslaan or walking around the building the high points of the building move behind each other, causing the building to constantly a
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Design
The museum building is an integral part of the (new) green environment, both in its choice of materials and in its form. The roof is supported by wooden columns, wooden trusses, and cross-laminated timber roof panels. The trusses are twisted relative to each other, giving the roof a sculptural double curvature. This creates higher spaces in the “maakschuur” and the “introshow”, while the restaurant and offices have a lower ceiling and are more intimate. The closed sections of the facade are made of pigmented lime-hemp applied in layers, reflecting the local soil profile. At the same time, the building rises and detaches itself from the ground. Together with the green roof, it creates the image of a structure carved out of the surrounding landscape. This image is reinforced by lifting the lime-hemp above ground level, effectively showcasing the building as if it were emerging from the fertile soil upon which the region has flourished. The green roof, adorned with native plants and shrubs, is accessible to visitors and offers a beautiful view of the Genneper Parken and the skyline of Eindhoven.
Design
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Routing
Visitors enter the building from the Genneper Parken. Museal functions without daylight requirements, such as the introshow and the timeline, are placed in the middle of the building, allowing maximum visibility of the surroundings from all other spaces. Visitors first enter the introshow, then view the timeline, and eventually reach the interactive “maakschuur”. In this large space, visitors can participate in the fabrication process of the “sparks''. After completion, these “sparks” exit the museum every few months through the large doors in the facade. The maakschuur provides access to the museum park, and the rest of the museum route. The maakschuur is also connected to the restaurant, which provides access to the terrace through a series of folding doors. A conference room recides above the kitchen, and offers views on both the maakschuur and the restaurant. The scenic rooftop route starts at the terrace, continues over the curved roof, passes by a circular sun garden with PV panels and a picking garden and ends at the viewing point. Visitors exit the museum through the shop. The restaurant, terrace, and roof are freely accessible.
Routing
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Reuse of Biobasecamp
“Sparks” are built in the maakschuur.
Reuse of Biobasecamp
The interior walls of the museum are made from recycled cross-laminated timber (CLT) harvested from the Biobasecamp. This pavilion was designed by SMV (Studio Marco Vermeulen) for the Dutch Design Week of 2019 and featured in the documentary "Houtbouwers" by Tegenlicht. The Biobasecamp is constructed from modular CLT panels and designed in such a way that the material can be easily reused in a new building. In VONK, the material from the Biobasecamp finds a new purpose.
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The museum building is climate-controlled using natural methods as much as possible.
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Climate
The museum building is primarily climate-controlled using natural methods. In the two high facades of the building, three large ventilation hatches are open for the largest part of the year and provide natural ventilation. The hatches are closed when the outdoor temperature is too low or too high, in this case the building is ventilated mechanically and heated or cooled through underfloor heating with geothermal energy as the energy source.

The sanitary wastewater is purified in a helophyte filter before being pumped onto the roof. It is retained on the roof as long as possible, and provides water for the green roof during drier periods.