Koelhuis District Eindhoven:
From refrigeration to regeneration
2024
Much is known about the dairy industry in Eindhoven, including the birth of FrieslandCampina and the production of milk and butter. Less well known is the history of ice cream production and the specific role played by the Koelhuis, the namesake of this book. But how to deal with this kind of relatively young heritage? And how to create a vibrant and lasting cultural district in a rapidly gentrifying city?
This book, published by Concrete Culture, looks back at the area’s history and growth, the background of the dairy industry, and the legacy stories of people who worked there. Based on multiple historical and archival research and interviews, the book advocates for awareness of young post–industrial heritage (Post'65) and and its potential as a cornerstone for urban revitalization. The book also outlines how Ector Hoogstad Architecten's transformation design and urban vision GROUP A architects make this "Post 65" industrial heritage an anchor point for a new cultural district with affordable living and working spaces, focusing on Immersive Experiences, media art, and contemporary culture. The district merges affordable housing, makerspaces and cultural and tech hub, becoming a permanent incubator for creative and tech talent.
This book is both a documentation of a lesser-known past and a forward-looking manifesto that outlines how this project will contribute to the future of Brainport and the province of North Brabant.
︎Project Leader: Katažyna Jankovska
︎Graphic Design: whywhynot collective
(Louisa Wolf, Nick Monro-Meares, Julia Urreaga Aizarna, Hannah Kansy)
︎Printing: KOPA
Catalogue Images by whywhynot
