Eindhoven
Expo

Description

 

Why

Eindhoven is a city full of potential and growth. New buildings, more public space, and a larger population are some of the changes coming this decade. At the same time, a lot of wonderful projects and innovations are happening here.

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So how can we celebrate Eindhoven, inform its citizens and visitors about what is happening and going to happen, and involve them in the design and decision-making process? Because we are all stakeholders in the cities we live in and should have the means to make our mark.

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What

The Eindhoven Expo is a concept for a centrally located experience center. It tries to be a freely accessible hub for citizens and visitors of Eindhoven to: 1) learn about and witness the city in new ways and perspectives using a panorama room, a flight simulator, VR/AR, and a city model, 2) make and discuss new solutions and relevant topics with other visitors through crafts, interactive voting, and discussion triggers (Converse).

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The estimated size of the Expo lies at 300-600m2, for which 20 possible interactions were conceptualized.

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Results and future

During my internship, I have taken the initiative to involve various organizations within Eindhoven to participate in further developing the Expo concept. The internship was finished with a presentation for a couple of governors.

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My work has contributed to a revival of interest within the municipality in the concept of a possible Expo. This has led to my coach and others to continue with the project. However, projects of these sizes take time and might not be seen for a long time.

Learning points

 

 

Many of my learning points came from the challenges. I had to adjust myself to a different way of working, thinking, and communicating than I was used to within the design field. Sometimes, this created friction. Like when I was trying to establish an underlying vision for 10 years into the future, while my colleagues expected a realistic near-term plan.

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The beautiful thing is that these challenges gave me so much. They offered me the opportunities to take on an unfamiliar perspective, persevere through hardship, have other kinds of discussions, and understand that realizing an idea requires you to offer all necessary expectations, not only your own.

 

Most importantly, it was during this internship that my vision matured to the point where it is now. My coach played a supporting role in this, for trusting in what I was doing and giving me almost entire ownership over my own project. It gave me the freedom to explore and learn about cities. It allowed me to meet people whom I look up to. Most notably Nils van Keulen, who has a profession I admire, and Koert van Mensvoort, director of Next Nature and writer of one of my favorite books by the same name. And I have been able to make excursions. First to Amsterdam and Forum, Groningen. Then to Dubai. Here I got to visit de World Expo 2020, which was an eye-opener for me, and explore a city unlike any I have ever seen before.