Museumpark VONK Becomes The Netherlands’ First Large-Scale Biobased Museum
Museumpark VONK has opened in Eindhoven as the first large-scale biobased museum in the Netherlands. The building combines natural and reused materials with low-energy systems. It shows how architecture can connect heritage, landscape and sustainable innovation.
The museum replaces the former preHistorisch Dorp. It takes visitors through 10,000 years of regional history, from the discovery of fire to modern Eindhoven. Exhibitions, workshops and interactive installations invite visitors to learn by making and experimenting.
A Building Shaped By Its Landscape
Studio Marco Vermeulen designed the museum for the green setting of Genneper Parken. The structure appears to lift a section of the landscape from the ground. Its accessible roof garden continues the surrounding greenery across the building. Native plants and shrubs support local biodiversity.
A timber structure carries the curved roof. It consists of wooden columns, beams and cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. The rotated beams give the roof its sculptural, double-curved form. They also create a range of interior spaces. The workshop and introductory exhibition have high ceilings, while the restaurant and offices feel smaller and more intimate.
Layered hemp-lime forms the solid parts of the façade. Different pigments reflect the colours of the local soil. The porous surface offers shelter for insects, while integrated nesting spaces support birds.
Reclaimed CLT Reduces Material Waste
The project also gives an earlier timber structure a second life. Reclaimed CLT panels form several internal walls. Studio Marco Vermeulen originally used these panels for Biobasecamp, a pavilion at Dutch Design Week 2019.
The studio designed the pavilion as a modular structure that workers could easily take apart. This approach allowed the project team to recover the panels and reuse them at VONK. The material retains its value while avoiding the need for new wall elements.
Natural Systems Manage Air And Water
VONK uses natural ventilation during most of the year. Large openings in the highest parts of the building allow fresh air to circulate. During very hot or cold weather, underfloor systems and ground-source energy provide extra cooling or heating.
A planted helophyte filter treats wastewater from the toilets. The system then sends the cleaned water to the roof. There, it joins collected rainwater and irrigates the plants during dry periods. Solar panels and water storage further reduce the building’s environmental impact.
Learning Through Design And Making
VONK brings history, craft and design together. In its central workshop, visitors help create changing installations called “sparks”. Designers and creative makers, including Eindhoven duo Kiki & Joost, contribute to these interactive objects.
As a result, the museum building supports the story that VONK wants to tell. Its timber, hemp-lime, reclaimed materials and natural systems make sustainable construction visible and accessible.
Source: Duurzaam Ondernemen and Studio Marco Vermeulen
Photos: Studio Marco Vermeulen