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Schoenenkwartier Shoe Museum/Civic Architects
Text description provided by the architect. The Schoenenkwartier Museum is a new and innovative knowledge center for shoe design, shoe production and shoe fashion located in the heart of the Dutch leather shoe city of Waalwijk. It is housed in a 1930s listed building complex designed by architect Alexander Kropholler, which has been partially renovated, adapted and extended. The buildings now house a collection of 12,000 objects, several permanent exhibitions, a knowledge center with a research library, studio spaces and auditoriums, a museum café and design and prototyping laboratories. The planning and design of the building and its interior build on the values of the past to chart an inspiring new future for industry, cities and communities.
As a historical manufacturing process for new connectors. Waalwijk is a typical small European city, growing through the industrial development of local crafts, but at the same time struggling for its future. The leatherworking and shoemaking industries that formed the region’s culture, economy and pride as an international player have now disappeared. However, there are still areas for shoe brands, large and small, and the Shoe and Leather Museum was established in 1954. The building is a combination of museum and innovation center, woven into one living entity. There is a research library between the exhibition rooms, as well as several innovation and design laboratories for educational and resident artists, as well as various conference and company presentation possibilities. The Shoe Museum brings regional footwear craftsmanship back to its beginnings and the city once again becomes an (inter)national destination for experts and innovators, as well as showcasing and enhancing the cultural history of the local community. This collection is an endless source of inspiration for it all.
Public revitalization of urban centres. The Shoe Museum is located on the Raadhuisplein in the historic city center, which was the site of the town hall and town hall in the last century. The general functions of the museum, such as the work café with open work laboratories, are directly visible from the square and are also open to the public, even for those who do not visit the exhibitions. In addition to being a museum and innovation center, the Footwear Museum is a welcoming space for the community. The warm and welcoming public atmosphere is also noticed when you enter the building through the historic arcade, equipped with wide pivoting and sliding doors: the entrance area is completely open and has an internal walkway with a cobblestone pattern in the center of the building. Reminiscent of a covered city cube.
A museum building that truly keeps pace with the times. The layout and atmosphere of the building are different compared to traditional museums. The shoe collection is large, extensive and specific, but the target groups (from international fashion experts to community families) all have different expectations, needs and concerns. That’s why the building is designed in such a way that everyone can decide their own way and pace. The completely open ground floor brings together all functions from cafes to exhibitions, while a centrally added garden provides flexibility and options for public routes. Spectacular new large circular openings, cut from the old facade of the 1980s office building, allow you to glimpse the exhibition. Cleverly placed stairs and routes allow you to take shortcuts, visit just the highlights and study an exhibition in detail (if you so wish), but you can also visit the museum in the classic way and follow the entire beautifully thought-out route. The open layout of the museum means there are many views across from the museum. You can visit the exhibition rooms forward, backward and inside, as well as the knowledge centers and “fabrication laboratories” logically placed along these routes. This connects collections and people in a light-hearted way. It makes the Shoe Museum a lively place of cross-pollination and inspiration. Sometimes you can also look outside at a garden or historic building to process your impressions or just admire the beauty of the place.
Architecture for everyone. The tone of the building complex is set by familiar materials such as brick, steel, concrete and wood. It was a carefully considered choice: the materials enhance the atmosphere of the collection and the historic building and form a collective work of art. At the same time, some visitors may feel uncomfortable or unwelcome in abstract museum spaces because they do not frequently visit these spaces, and museums want to be open to the widest possible audience. The choice of authentic materials and the geometries used transcend the target group as they appeal to the universal experience of the human senses; from sight to hearing, from touch to smell. Materials were also chosen with sustainability in mind. On the one hand, this means that they must be able to withstand rough handling and age well, and on the other hand, they must be sourced and reused as sustainably as possible.
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