Close-Up: Ketelhuisplein

Located between Klokgebouw, VEEM and the other presentations at Strijp-S, Ketelhuisplein is the beating heart of DDW. It is a place for meeting, gathering and relaxing with a nice drink or tasty snack. The presentations on the square and the various pavilions show new developments in the field of architecture and sustainability. You can quietly stroll past the presentations. It is an inspired hotspot where you can see, do and experience all kinds of things, for all ages. The square is open to everyone, making it an accessible location during DDW.

Programme DDW19

In the autumn sun there is plenty to see outside at Ketelhuisplein, but even when the weather is tough or rainy there still is a lot to do and experience. There is space for design, food and music, as well as large and small presentations. You can visit the larger pavilions, or small-scale presentations by individual designers. Besides, it is also a logistical hub and the starting point for the Renault Design Rides, tour busses and the starting point of many tours. Permanent residents such as YKSI and Broeinest open their doors during DDW and organise special exhibitions. Furtermore, in case you are looking for something nice to eat, there are several restaurants and you can have a drink or a snack like a beet ball or Brabant sausage sandwich at the food trucks. You can rest on a special bench made of tree trunks, from the project Stormhout by Atelier NL.

The most eye-catching pavilion is Biobasecamp. The star-shaped pavilion is placed entirely on pillars of tree trunks, originating from felled trees along the A2. The pavilion itself is an ode to timber construction and shows that wood is the concrete of the future. Between the tree trunks there is a lot to learn about the Floriade 2022 in Amsterdam and Almere. There is also the presentation of Brabant Living lab, an interactive exhibition that inspires and challenges the public to make choices for the future of the city.

The Growing Pavilion is another striking sight. The round pavilion with a seemingly dripping skin immediately reveals that a special material was used for this project: mycelium. The pavilion is fully made of bio-based materials and shows a corresponding new esthetic. Inside are more bio-based designs, such as the Flax chair by Christien Meindertsma and the grass dress by Diana Scherer.

In the pavilion of ABN AMRO you can see four 'game changers'. These four designers have devised designs that can make a positive contribution to the future. Such as the Transformer table by designer Adrianus Kundert, which only becomes more beautiful when used intensively, or the candle made from recycled sewage sludge by DDW ambassador Jalila Essaïdi.

In addition to new sustainable techniques and designs, the Ketelhuisplein also provides an opportunity to look at what society will look like in the future from a social perspective. The Embassy of Safety, in a shiny, mirroring pavilion, shows how designers can contribute to current safety issues by means of research and experiment. Answers to the broad question 'Is safety a right? In this year's What if Lab, the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten) has focused on urgent issues in the field of safety, which cannot be solved by the government alone. The ordinary citizen is necessary to find solutions. During DDW, visitors to the Lab will be given the opportunity to think along.