Catharinahuis

• Date 2000-2004
• Address Smalle Haven – 5611 EH Eindhoven (Netherlands)

The Catharinahuis project forms part of a wide-ranging regeneration scheme for Eindhoven city centre, the masterplan for which was designed by Maastricht-based architect Jo Coenen. To link the various hubs of the neighbourhood, such as the Heuvelgalerie and the Smalle Haven, Jo Coenen is developing a new communal space opposite St Catherine’s Church and is focusing on a reconfiguration of the public space combined with the construction of a new building opposite the church. This building is intended to contribute to the revitalisation of the city centre by combining housing and retail spaces. Vandenhove, whose reputation in the Netherlands is well established, was awarded the contract for the building, which the property developer describes in a few key words: robust, high-quality and timeless. The building must also blend into its immediate surroundings whilst providing a link between the church and the Heuvelgalerie. Although the initial design was revised, Vandenhove proposed a building extending the length of the site over four storeys. The ground floor and first floor are reserved for retail and hospitality spaces, whilst the three upper storeys are intended to house 54 flats. The design proposed here by Vandenhove is based simply on a subtle interplay of volumes. A large rectangular block extends along Catharinaplein, whilst at the rear, two silos indicate the presence of the fire escapes and the lift shaft. These two volumes, discreet yet clearly identifiable, are reminiscent of a similar design feature in the Liège blood transfusion centre, built forty years earlier. Vandenhove also plays on the quality of the spaces and circulation routes. The building is preceded by a covered gallery providing a pedestrian walkway sheltered from the elements, whilst on the first floor a long glazed loggia offers visitors to the gallery a view of the public square. Adorned with red concrete elements, the façade stands out in the urban landscape and is distinguished by its balustrades, featuring a design by Jean-Pierre Pincemin etched into the glass.

• Description of the collection

  Plans, administrative documents, correspondence, specifications, photographs…

• Volumetry 12 boîtes d'archives, 1 dossier de présentation, 1 dossier photographique...
• Bibliography

  Presentation dossier, Jeanne & Charles Vandenhove Foundation archives

• AUTHOR AND DATE OF THE ENTRY Sébastien Charlier, 2022