HERITAGE

Kazerne is situated in one of the first military police barracks of the Netherlands (1825) and the adjoining industrial warehouse used by the municiple cleaning services (1925). With the support of many (business) partners the 2.500 square meter complex is being transformed into a extraordinaire combination of meeting, exhibition and hospitality. Since October 2014 the warehouse has been completed and the renovation of the monumental barracks will be completed in the spring of 2019.

A new social destination for cultural heritage

On the edge of the city center of Eindhoven, the formerly known military police station and industrial warehouse, used by the municipal cleaning services stood more or less empty and in decay for decades. After having implemented several successful pop-up pilots during the Dutch Design Week, two creative individuals, Annemoon Geurts and Koen Rijnbeek, saw the potential for an innovative cultural/social concept combined with a luxurious metropolitan style open to the public. A place where different living environments come together to eat, drink, sleep, work and relax, while contemporary exhibitions inspire, stimulate, challenge them to think about answers to the social, cultural or economical questions of today and tomorrow. The new social function that is created with re-purposing this piece of heritage makes this possible: an international stage for the creative industry combined with an underlying hospitality enterprise. By situating the total concept in a monumental building a win-win situation is created: the heritage is secured for the future and an inspiring tangible location is created that intensifies the cultural experience, stimulates the encounter between different networks and living environments and which also generates an important part of the budget required for the topical program.

 

Value of cultural history

Klein Paradijs is a very special heritage with its own distinct identity in the city center of Eindhoven. The 2.500 square meter complex consisted of the military police barracks (1825) with service areas, stables, coach house (1898) and a warehouse used by the municipal cleaning services (1925). The military police barracks, the stables and the coach house combined are a municipal monument. In 2014 a constructive- and cultural-historical research has been conducted. This is available upon request.