Architectural firm Inside Outside, led by Petra Blaisse, and the TextielMuseum worked together from late 2017 to the end of 2018 to design and produce six large-scale curtains that form the walls of the industrial LocHal in Tilburg.
The 15-metre-high and 50-metre-wide curtains define the LocHal’s different uses in an attractive and flexible way. To accentuate the former function and industrial character of the building, Inside Outside designed the textiles as robust, architectural elements. They are each composed of two contrasting surfaces: a thick, tightly woven section at the top and a lighter, transparent section at the bottom. The thick sections have a different colour on each side.
The LocHal, a former Dutch Railways locomotive shed, was completely renovated and now houses the Midden-Brabant Library, Kunstloc Brabant and Seats2meet.
Inside Outside aims to accentuate both the strength and the open nature of the space in their design. To achieve this, they make various designs alternating rigid canvas qualities with voile-like transparency.
The TextielLab team works intensively together with the Inside Outside design team; variations of selected woven samples are developed further. As a unique local reference, the fabrics incorporate a binding inspired by the original Tilburg bindings found in reference books from the Tilburg Textielschool. In this way, part of the city’s history forms a basis for modern innovation.
Established in 1991, Inside Outside is internationally recognised for its striking interior and landscape designs. Characteristic of the agency’s interiors is an inventive use of textiles as a dynamic, spatial element. Curtains transform spaces, changing the light and atmosphere; carpets help to bring the garden inside; and walls improve acoustics or introduce spatial effects.
Founder Petra Blaisse’s mission is to find new answers to complex questions. These questions often come from architects and involve technical details such as acoustics, lighting, climate control, sight lines, privacy and movement. Blaisse and her team frequently work with the TextielLab to develop custom curtains.
