Koelhuis Eindhoven officially recognised as a municipal monument

Alderman for Finance, Sports, Heritage, and Regional Cooperation Remco van Dooren, together with the initiators of Koelhuis Eindhoven, Tom Bakkers, CEO of Bakkers | Hommen, and Marjolein Vlaming, co-founder of Concrete Culture, mark the official designation of Koelhuis Eindhoven as a Municipal Monument. Credit: Boudewijn Bollmann

We are proud to share that Koelhuis Eindhoven has been officially designated as a municipal monument. 

Originally designed by architect Henk Reef and engineer Cor Schiebroek built in 1971 as a Campina freezer warehouse and nearly demolished in 2017, the Koelhuis is now formally recognised for its architectural, historical, and cultural value. This status secures the future of a rare example of post-1965 industrial heritage and marks an important milestone in the building’s ongoing transformation. 

For the first time in its history, the Koelhuis will permanently open to the public and evolve into a regional cultural and technological hub. It will form the beating heart of Koelhuis District Eindhoven: a cultural district centred on immersive experiences (IX), media art, and contemporary culture. The district will bring together affordable housing, makerspaces, and a cultural & tech hub, becoming a permanent incubator for creative and technological talent in the Brainport region. 

This recognition is the result of years of perseverance and collaboration. Safeguarding a monument of this nature is never an easy path, but it is essential for acknowledging Eidnhoven's industrial and enterpreneurial heritage, where collaboration has been embedded in the city's DNA for decades. Our thanks go to the Municipality of Eindhoven, BOEi, Bakkers | Hommen, Concrete Culture, and all others who believe in protecting young industrial heritage for contemporary and future use. 

Now that the Koelhuis is formally protected for future generations, we can further shape its role in service of Eindhoven, Brainport, and its communities. Collaboration across immersive technology innovation, art, culture, and design, where experiencing, making, and sharing come togerthe, is not only possible, but encouraged. 

Open invitation  We warmly invite both existing and new stakeholders who identify with the Koelhuis and it’s vison around IX to join us in shaping the next chapter of this monument—bringing it back to life in the broadest and most inclusive sense imaginable. 

If you would like to read more about the history of Koelhuis, visit our history page and check out Koelhuis book.

Koelhuis after transformation. Credit: Ector Hoogstad Architecten, render by UrbanEngine.