Klokgebouw

The Klokgebouw is the beating heart of Strijp-S, the former Philips factory site in the west of Eindhoven. The large industrial building, named after its clock tower ("klok" means clock), is today one of the biggest event locations in the south of the Netherlands, and the main hub of Dutch Design Week.

From Philips factory to creative hub

For most of the twentieth century, Strijp-S was a closed Philips site, a "forbidden city" where only employees could enter. Anton Philips built the first factory there in 1916, a glass works for light bulbs, and over the decades Philips made radios, televisions and many other products on the site, under the motto "from sand to customer". In the 1990s Philips began to leave Eindhoven, and in 2002 the city and the building company VolkerWessels bought the land to turn it into a creative district.

Today the Klokgebouw offers around 30,000 square metres of space, with more than a hundred workspaces for creative entrepreneurs and, on the ground floor, large halls for events from about 100 to 10,000 visitors. On the ring-road side you will find PopEl, with rehearsal rooms and a stage for pop music and dance.

What happens here

• Dutch Design Week: during DDW in October, the Klokgebouw holds dozens of exhibitions in its four halls, from individual designers to group shows of schools and universities from across Europe. A DDW ticket is required.
• Concerts and dance events: big concerts and festivals, sometimes organised together with other venues such as the Effenaar.
• GLOW: the light festival regularly uses Strijp-S as a location.
• Fairs, markets and corporate events: throughout the year, including a Christmas market.

Strijp-S around the Klokgebouw

Around the Klokgebouw, the former factory site has become a lively district with homes, studios, restaurants and bars. Look out for the Ketelhuisplein square, the Veem building and the Natlab building, the former Philips physics laboratory. The district has a young population and an industrial look, with old pipes, railway tracks and factory halls.

Good to know

The Klokgebouw itself is a working building: the offices are open on weekdays, and you can only visit the halls during events. Check the calendar above to see when something is on. During big events the area gets busy, so it is wise to come by train or bike.

Tips for your visit

• Check what's on before you go. The halls are only open during events, so look at the calendar above or the organiser's website.
• Come by train. Eindhoven Strijp-S station is a few minutes' walk away, which is much easier than parking during big events.
• Explore the district. Arrive a little early and walk around Strijp-S: the old factory buildings, the pipes of the Leidingstraat and the squares are part of the experience.
• Dress in layers. Old factory halls can be cool in winter and warm when full.

Getting there

The Klokgebouw is at Klokgebouw 50 at Strijp-S. Take the train one stop from Eindhoven Centraal to Eindhoven Strijp-S station, from where it is a short walk. By bike it is about ten minutes from the city centre. There is a car park nearby, but during events like Dutch Design Week it is better to use public transport or a P+R location.

See also our guide to things to do and see, nightlife in Eindhoven and all culture and exhibitions.