By Benjamin Kempton
last updated

With jam-packed pockets of design events covering the entire city of Eindhoven, Dutch Design Week seems to grow in gravitas every year. A test bed for designers' personal concepts, as well as place for brands to launch new products, it has it all in the mix. And with this year marking its tenth anniversary, there was a distinctly celebratory air to proceedings.

Always a highlight, Design Academy Eindhoven's showcase of over 150 graduates' work, set within the former Philips light bulb factory WitteDame, and this year curated by Ilse Crawford, didn't disappoint. Standout students included Miya Kondo and Femke Roefs.

Great focus was placed this year on the Strijp area, which has seen the likes of Piet Hein Eek, Kiki van Eijk & Joost van Bleiswijk, Lotty Lindeman and Studio Job all set up camp there, turning it into a hotbed of workshops and studios. Bringing relief to tired feet, it is also home to a nice collection of cafes, among them the Piet Hein Eek Restaurant.

Meanwhile, designer Wendy Plomp's Dutch Invertuals group exhibit, shown in her studio gallery space near Eindhoven Central Station, once again brought together a group of contemporary designers who responded to this year's 'Untouchables' theme, centred around the celebration of vulnerability.

Wooden desk with drawers all facing in different directions

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Listen to Your Hands' desk with drawers by Sanghyeok Lee, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

White teapots and cups on a concrete floor

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Forgotten Memory' installation by Jetske Visser, a study and metaphor for people suffering from dementia, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

Wooden table with glass display boxes containing souvenirs

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Memento' cabinet by Thijs Van Agt, a series of boxes to store your most precious memories and souvenirs, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

A range of solid and woven vessels and baskets

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Trade Union' vessels and baskets by Rachel Griffin, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

A selection of empty picture frames with light inside the frame

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Composition Light' objects by Miya Kondo, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

Wooden tea trolley with copper kettle


(Image credit: TBC)

‘Tealightful' tea trolley by Femke Roefs, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

Metal espresso machine

(Image credit: TBC)

‘ES1' espresso machine by Wouter Strietman, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

Black and orange barbeque and fireplace in one

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Gardenbraai' barbeque and fireplace by Rienke Bos, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

Three clear glass carafes

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Tap Water' carafe by Lotte de Raadt, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

Painting of a rose in a notebook beside five scent bottles

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Bouquet of Flowers' by Payam Askari, looks to focus on the scent of the flower rather than the beauty of the blooms, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

A series of elegant glass vials, containing five custom-made-elixirs

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Bouquet of Flowers' by Payam Askari, a series of elegant glass vials, containing five custom-made-elixirs, which celebrate the natural fragrance of flowers, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

Lamp projecting coloured lines onto a ceiling

(Image credit: TBC)

‘CMYK' lamp by Dennis Parren, which plays with the mystery of light and colour and projects an elusive network of lines of cyan, magenta and yellow light onto the ceiling, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

Kettle and lidded pan in neutral tones

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Silk Cooking' kitchenware by Massoud Hassani, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

Red rubber tube with balloon, attached to a chair

(Image credit: TBC)

Michiel Martens showing off his ‘#FFFFLSSJ' toilet, a playful interpretation of the standardised loo, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

Model of a brick wall with integrated brick nesting box

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Bird Bricks' nesting boxes by Fanny Hofstra, which are components that contain nesting spaces that can be set into the walls of a building during construction, to bring shelter to wildlife in the city, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

A range of house cleaning tools

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Dear House, may I pet, tickle, rub, sweep, pick, wash, scrub, scratch and stroke you' series of house cleaning tools by Marijke Annema, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

Three scaled architectural models

(Image credit: TBC)

Scale models of Nik Van Nuland's ‘Courtyard Culture' a collection of different building options for urban planning, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

Model of buildings and people

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Out of Your Box, Into Your Life' by Erik Van Halderen, is an attempt to bring buildings to life. A lift shaft can serve as a functional space that can accommodate shops and offices, a space that constantly changes position, so people can enjoy continually changing views.

Wooden steam hut

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Steam Hut' by Joost Gehem, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven.

Wooden desk with features to improve concentration

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Landscape' desk by Yuko Miyazaki, a personal workspace with different natural features to revive flagging concentration and inspiration while working, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

Small-scale architectural models inspired by displaced boats and shipwrecks

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Apocalytopia' by Olivia De Gouveia, shows series of small-scale architectural models inspired by displaced boats and shipwrecks, presented as part of the graduate projects on show at the Design Academy Eindhoven

Three pixelated vases on a wooden table

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Pixel Mould Machine' by Julian Bond, a moulding machine used to cast vases in different pixelated shapes, each one unique, shown as part of the ‘After The Bit Rush' exhibition at the Mu Gallery.

Half t-shirt half animal

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Digital Portraits' T-shirt project, shown as part of the ‘After The Bit Rush' exhibition at the Mu Gallery.

Three pairs of glasses with patterned cut-outs in the lenses. Behind them are a range of disks of different thicknesses

(Image credit: TBC)

A series of tools used in Markus Kayser's ‘Sun Cutter' project, shown as part of the ‘After The Bit Rush' exhibition at the Mu Gallery.

3D printer using sunlight and sand

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Solar Sinter' 3D printer, by Markus Kayser, which makes use of sunlight and sand to produce 3D glass shapes, shown as part of the ‘After The Bit Rush' exhibition at the Mu Gallery.

Three lamps of different colours and shapes hang above a patterned sofa

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Galata' lamps for Venini, ‘Sushi' sofa for Moroso, both by Edward Van Vliet, showcased as part of the Spring exhibition at Designhuis

Poster of a floral arrangement. The top half has been cut around and flipped upside down

(Image credit: TBC)

Poster design, showcased as part of the Spring exhibition at Designhuis

Three chairs and a table all coated in white plastic to make them into one piece

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Kokon Family Chair' by Jurgen Bey, showcased as part of the Spring exhibition at Designhuis

Chair and table each made from one continuous piece of plastic

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Endless' chair, ‘Endless' table, both by Dirk Van Der Kooij, showcased as part of the Spring exhibition at Designhuis

Seven bags of different sizes and colours, hanging from a wooden rail on a wall

(Image credit: TBC)

Series of little bags by Lotty Lindeman, showcased as part of the Spring exhibition at Designhuis

Chair made out of sections of old pipe

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Tubes' chair by Piet Hein Eek, showcased as part of the Spring exhibition at Designhuis

Panels constructed from copper, aluminium, brass and steel

(Image credit: TBC)

‘True Colours' panels in copper, aluminium, brass and steel by Lex Pott, showcased as part of the Spring exhibition at Designhuis

Bookcase made from wooden slats

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Fragments of Nature' bookcase by Lex Pott, showcased as part of the Spring exhibition at Designhuis

Chair, cabinet and vitrine constructed from wood and steel

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Strip-steel' chair, ‘Construction' cabinet, ‘Showcase Construction' vitrine, all by Paul Heijnen, showcased as part of the Spring exhibition at Designhuis

Pale blue poster with decorative lettering

(Image credit: TBC)

Poster design, shown as part of the bi-monthly exhibitions at Affiches Schrank8 Home Gallery, designed by Hansje Van Halem. It is one of the contenders for the Dutch Design Awards

Pale grey poster with vibrant pink lettering

(Image credit: TBC)

Poster design, shown as part of the bi-monthly exhibitions at Affiches Schrank8 Home Gallery, designed by Hansje Van Halem. It is one of the contenders for the Dutch Design Awards

Black poster with pale grey lettering on a texture-effect background

(Image credit: TBC)

Poster design, shown as part of the bi-monthly exhibitions at Affiches Schrank8 Home Gallery, designed by Hansje Van Halem. It is one of the contenders for the Dutch Design Awards

Four plastic chairs in black and white, plain white, and white and blue

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Ahrend 380' plastic chair by Ineke Hans, for Ahrend, which echoes the company's well-known ‘Revolt' chair from the 1950s. It is one of the contenders for the Dutch Design Awards

Architectural model of a synagogue

(Image credit: TBC)

Architectural model of a synagogue in Amsterdam by SeARCH Architects. It is one of the contenders for the Dutch Design Awards

Furniture shapes and outlines are hung on a wall

(Image credit: TBC)

Furniture shapes and outlines are hung on the wall of Kiki Van Eijk and Joost Van Bleiswijk's new workshop and gallery space in the Area Strijp district

Models of modular bridges

(Image credit: TBC)

Models of ‘Nar' by Kiki Van Eijk and Joost Van Bleiswijk - a modular system of bridges, viewing points, shelters and other public furniture, inspired by the famous mecano system and commissioned by BKKC Tilburg

A range of furniture constructed from steam-rolled steel plates

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Heavy Metal' furniture by Joost Van Bleiswijk, constructed from steam-rolled steel plates

A range of ceramics in white and gold

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Zuiderzee' ceramics by Kiki Van Eijk, on show at her workshop

A group of four beds in a nursery, but with seedlings nestled in the mattresses

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Nursery' by Kiki Van Eijk, an installation celebrating the growth of a seed

A network of pipes on a brick wall, illuminated by three lights

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Light Forest' light installation by Ontwerpduo, shown in the Area Strijp district

A chair, light, and wooden suitcase in front of a window

(Image credit: TBC)

Installation of new work by Lotty Lindeman and Wouter Scheublin, exhibited at their atelier in the Area Strijp district

Poster in pale blue with a person constructed from blocks which have the words "Piet", "Hein", and "Eek" on the cube faces

(Image credit: TBC)

Poster design for Piet Hein Eek's exhibition during the design week

Large pile of rusty metal furniture frames

(Image credit: TBC)

Installation of discarded metal chairs in the workshop and gallery space of Piet Hein Eek

Eating area with benches and a selection of images on the wall

(Image credit: TBC)

Eating and gallery display area at the workshops of Piet Hein Eek

Cabinet made from different coloured scrap wood

(Image credit: TBC)

Cabinet made in scrapwood by Piet Hein Eek, showcased at his workshops

Black wire structure beside the corner of a white table

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Luchtkastelen' architectural constructions by Eefiene Bolhuis, shown as part of Untouchables, a Dutch Invertuals exhibition conceived by Wendy Plomp

A stack of different shaped objects with mirrored surfaces

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Balancerende Viakken' stacked surfaces by Harm Rensink, shown as part of Untouchables, a Dutch Invertuals exhibition conceived by Wendy Plomp

Four objects on a table, their silhouettes created by fine wire

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Cover' objects by Daphna Laurens, shown as part of Untouchables, a Dutch Invertuals exhibition conceived by Wendy Plomp

A table constructed from four white circular tops joined to make one piece, and a matching stool beside it

(Image credit: TBC)

‘Complex' small table by Maaike Seegers, shown as part of Untouchables, a Dutch Invertuals exhibition conceived by Wendy Plomp

Benjamin Kempton
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