Glass Laboratory: another gem of Strijp-T in Eindhoven is being polished up.

The building where Philips started experimenting with various types of glass for special products after the war is now a mess. Inside, various offices, warehouses, and meeting rooms have been built. The asbestos has already been removed, and soon the old partition walls and all furniture will be removed, so you can see through it again. Then the three large halls with heights of ten and seventeen meters will fully come into their own. "Then you see the enormous potential of this property," said Boudie Hoogedeure of owner/developer GEVA BV.

Depending on the wishes of the tenant(s), this space, totaling 5000 to 7000 square meters, will then be redesigned. Possibly with mezzanine floors and box-in-box office and meeting rooms, and if desired, also cleanrooms. "This will be custom-made," says Hoogedeure. One idea is, for example, to create a kind of meeting room in the highest part of TY, entirely made of glass. But only if the new tenant also wants that.

Initially, GEVA BV had already found a company, but had to withdraw due to the coronavirus crisis. The new 'resident(s)' must align with the 'make, create, innovate' motto of Strijp-T. High-tech manufacturing industry with production is the most obvious choice, according to Hoogedeure. He also believes that even after the coronavirus crisis, the need for workspace will remain significant. However, it will change. "As a company, you still want to create an attractive, inspiring workspace. Where employees can physically meet each other when they come to work."

The halls were so high to dissipate the heat from the glass furnaces that were located here. What is special about the Glass Laboratory are the enormous windows, some of which are now partly whitewashed; they must be well insulated. And to keep out the summer sun, sunshades will be installed, because otherwise it would be impossible to work in TY, according to Hoogedeure.

Strangely enough, the three large halls are located on the first floor, above a high space on the ground floor. Between the two lower and the higher hall, there is an intermediate section that is being converted into a corridor. Here, the elevator, a striking spiral staircase, and shared facilities for the tenants will be located. It is possible that the old pipes for chemical substances running through the building will be preserved as interior pieces that remind of the building's history.

At the top of the smaller halls, an information center about building TY will soon be established on a mezzanine floor, designed by Marieke van Laanen from B-Happy, also located on Strijp-R. GEVA BV wants to welcome and inform guests in the 'experience room', including providing virtual reality glasses. There is also a passage to the roof. A rooftop terrace will be built there, similar to TQ. "That is extremely popular, people enjoy looking out over Strijp-T and -S. Maybe we will even organize a rooftop terrace festival with music everywhere," says Hoogedeure.

The entire business park Strijp-T - 25 hectares between Zwaanstraat and Achtseweg-Zuid - is owned by the real estate company from Best. Earlier, the power plant TR and the gigantic building TQ were already converted into collective buildings for high-tech companies. "Polishing up the gems of T," Hoogedeure calls it. "With respect for the past but with the comfort and sustainability level of new construction." Settels Savenije established itself in the former pumping station TAQ, with new construction next to it. TAB is a collective building and recently building TZ has been renovated (the colorful parapets under the windows have been removed) and largely rented out.

Furthermore, there are still some companies such as Dutch Aero from KWME, Draka, and Industrieveiling in existing buildings. After the redevelopment of TY, GEVA BV is exploring possibilities to add new construction on the site. A new zoning plan will be determined soon for this purpose. The final discussions with the municipality of Eindhoven are currently ongoing.

On the website about building TY, you can see, among other things, a virtual tour through the plans.