Rain in the forecast? No problem! During Dutch Design Week (DDW), there are plenty of places where you can spend hours exploring, discovering and finding inspiration. Think old factory halls packed with exhibitions, creative hubs and innovative showcases. With so much to see at these venues, you’ll hardly need to step outside.
PLAN-B: from unusual furniture to digital memories
Inside a former Philips factory, you'll find PLAN-B, a creative hub home to more than 200 designers, artists and makers. During DDW, various studios open their doors, transforming the building into one big exhibition space.
George Baïda creates unusual lamps from discarded packaging in People Pleasers. In dust vessel for a lasting memory, Xiaotong Li explores how we can preserve digital memories, while Charlotte van den Brand presents five monumental ceramic vases in CLAI – The oldest answer to the newest question, illustrating the evolution from earth to AI. At PLAN-B, you'll discover everything from reuse and craftsmanship to technology.
Sectie-C: a creative world of its own
At Sectie-C, you can wander between workshops, studios and old factory halls. The site has been home to designers for fifteen years, and DDW celebrates this milestone with A Home of Many Addresses. Fifteen designers each put their own spin on an everyday object: the letterbox.
At JOB'S PLAYGROUND, you can take a peek inside Job van den Berg's workshop, filled with prototypes, furniture and material experiments. Meanwhile, in Reading Space Through Light, studio Thier & van Daalen shows how light and materials shape the way we experience a space.
Innovation Powerhouse: technology for nature
At the former industrial building Innovation Powerhouse, technology, design and societal challenges come together. Here, Accenture presents The Hornet Trap: Designing for Living Systems. How can AI, data and citizen participation help tackle the invasive yellow-legged hornet and protect biodiversity?
BioArt Laboratories: experimenting with nature
At BioArt Laboratories, discover how designers and artists work with natural processes. In Alveo: A Clay 3D Printed Artificial Reef Syste, Sven van Leeuwen develops 3D-printed reef structures that could provide habitats for marine life in the Wadden Sea. At The Art of Sustainable Fashion: Ecoprint, LEAF&LOOM uses plants and kitchen waste to dye textiles naturally.
Brian Patterson's BioFilix also invites you to see nature from a different perspective. His moving sculpture is inspired by organic growth patterns, translating invisible data into movement.
Kazerne: design, art and great food
Want to explore, discover and enjoy a meal without constantly putting your coat back on? Head to Kazerne – Design Lab. Behind its historic façade (the building was once a military police barracks) in the centre of Eindhoven, you'll discover work by more than 50 established and emerging designers. From extraordinary objects and material experiments to installations that challenge the way you see the world around you.
HAK Studio presents JOYN, inclusive tableware that helps people with neurodegenerative conditions eat independently. In Infinite Scroll, Studio Tjep. has six robots endlessly scrolling through digital content, while Back to the Flax #6 reveals how flax is transformed from a field crop into new materials and designs.
You can also explore the group exhibition Embodied Energy, Vibrant Relations and Radical Chains, in which designers investigate radical alternatives to challenges surrounding food, housing and landscapes.
Even more places to explore
The Van Abbemuseum is another great place to spend a few hours exploring. During DDW (and beyond), Museum as Sundial transforms the museum into an instrument for finding new directions. The project connects contemporary art and design with archaeology, architecture and the movement of the sun.
Along the Eindhoven Canal, you'll find De Melkfabriek. This industrial venue hosts HUB Bouw aan Morgen, van materiaal tot sociaal. Discover how new materials, design and different forms of collaboration can contribute to new ways of building.
Come rain or shine
A rainy day at DDW certainly doesn't have to mean cutting your visit short. Pick a venue as your starting point and take your time exploring. If the rain stops, you can head back out into the city. And if it keeps pouring? Chances are, you still won't have seen everything!
Explore the full DDW programme and get your ticket.
