The area around the Textile Museum in Tilburg is undergoing a complete overhaul. And that may cost something: tens of millions of euros of public money. But after the previous successful projects in the Spoorzone and Piushaven, the municipality is brimming with confidence: “This is money well spent. The benefits are much higher than the costs.”
The project is called Museum Quarter. It must give the area around the Textielmuseum, museum De Pont and the Wilhelminapark on the northwest side of the center a major makeover. There will be many public works of art, so that visitors who come to Tilburg by train have something to see on their way to the museum.
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The financial picture of the plans is not yet complete. But it is already clear that it will cost tens of millions of public money. But after previous major projects such as the Piushaven and the Spoorzone, with the LocHal library as the biggest success, the municipality is confident that the Museum Quarter will also be a success.
Alderman Marcelle Hendrickx says: “We have invested heavily in the LocHal and you can see the results. We notice that if you pick up such an icon, it has a huge impact for the entire city. Everyone is also very proud of the Textile Museum. This is also an icon that we should be careful with. If you want this museum to still be important in ten or twenty years’ time, you have to invest in it now.”
Main entrance
She takes us on a tour of the neighborhood. Starting at the chimney in front of the Textile Museum. This will be the main entrance to the Museum Quarter. She is immediately enthusiastic upon arrival and says: “The fact that the chimney is still there is very special. Tilburg was a factory city and there were a lot of them. But there are only three left. It is a beautiful marker in this area. Here you see the old textile factory with the villas and houses that belong to it.”
There is now a fence around the intended new entrance. That must go, says Hendrickx: “This square must have an open appearance, so that the inhabitants feel that it belongs to them. With a grand entrance, catering and the museum shop.”
playground
Through the current main entrance, past a parking lot and lots of proliferating weeds, Hendrickx arrives at the Drögepand: the former wool fabric factory. In the plans, the building will be connected to the Textile Museum via a roof. It is already a workplace for artists and it will remain that way. The ROC and the Design Academy will also be added.
A little further you look from the back of the museum on a huge square with bricks. “Here you see the problem of the current situation. Nothing is happening here at all. There is a lot of public space, but it doesn’t feel that way because of the fence that surrounds it. And what are you doing here? So the bricks go out and it has to get greener. This should become a courtyard where children can play.”
This autumn, the municipality will start working out the plans for Wilhelminapark and Goirkestraat. The plans for the Textile Museum still have to be approved by the city council.