Tilburg, Netherlands

Audax Textile Museum

Radical extension and renovation of the Textile Museum in Tilburg, by means of which this organization sets another step in its development from a museum in operation toward a creative enterprise and knowledge centre in the field of textile design.

The museum is housed in the nineteenth-century complex of the former Mommers & Co woollen fabric factory, and has recently merged with the Tilburg Regional Archives. For the purpose of a harmonious modernization, there has been a close collaboration with the Netherlands Department for Conservation. As a solution for the previous fragmentation of functions and buildings, a strong new structure has been designed. The complex has been extended with a new entrance building and an archives storage department with corresponding reading rooms. A transparent glass corridor forms a component of the revised routing and now connects various museum sections. A part of the existing buildings has been renovated and the grounds between the museum and the surrounding neighbourhood have been restructured. The museum, the museum grounds, and the surrounding neighbourhood of Tilburg Oud-Noord now display more interaction in both spatial and social terms.

Strategically positioned, the new entrance has been designed as an abstract glass volume which radiates accessibility and strongly enhances the recognizability of the museum and its entrance. It has a unique steel supporting framework in the shape of a mesh-pattern that has been left completely and openly visible, presenting an intriguing contrast with the historical qualities of the original complex. Inside, a second smaller volume gives the illusion of having refuted the law of gravity. On the ground floor, the reception and museum café are located. The inner volume contains rooms for gatherings, meetings and education and an auditorium cum multifunctional hall with a capacity of a hundred people. On top of this, there is a platform with a wide view over the entire Mommers-complex which is being used for various purposes such as lounging or presentations.

On all levels except that of the platform, the entrance building is connected with the historical building right behind it, which has been renovated with much respect and attention for it’s authenticity and now contains the museum shop, foyer and offices. On the ground floor, the two buildings merge into one another in self-evident fashion, whereas the connections have been made by means of overhead bridges on the other levels.

The archives-building is situated even deeper into the complex. Supported by steel frames, the entirely closed concrete volume is placed right above an existing exhibition building. It has been allocated an exterior cladding of water-inhibiting pvc-fabric which also lends the construction a taut, abstract and geometric appearance. Just like the entrance building, the archives starkly contrast with the decoratively detailed historical architecture, so that both the old and new segments make a good showing and really come into their own.

The architectural, constructional and installation technical components of the project have been integrated as much as possible. In doing so, various textile applications that underline the identity of the user have been used. The fabric cladding of the archives is already an example of this. In addition, textile stretch ceiling systems with integrated lighting strips haven been used in both the new and existing construction. The installations in the new entrance building are situated against the side elevation and are veiled by means of a textile stretch wall system. Externally, the front and rear walls of the suspended volume are also covered with textile. On the front side, a grid of LED-lights measuring over 36 m2 is incorporated in the textile. Using this, the museum can strikingly communicate its activities to visitors and passers-by in both word and image.