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Tilburg, The Netherlands

The former farm complex's uniqueness lies in its austerity. It gave an insight into former farm life. It's like stepping in Vincent Van Gogh's "Potato Eaters" painting. The painting formed a leitmotif for the whole project.

The team aimed to maintain the essential character that defines a typical shed or barn and searched for inspiration in the area, and reused these qualities for the Potato Shed's new design. The archetypal shed's sculptural quality was enhanced by cladding the roof with timber slats (which was specially made for this project). The team designed a few big openings facing the sun and broad views of the landscape, mimicking large doors for farm equipment and animals.

Besides the frameless windows, they created doors and hatches. The doors behind the slatted cladding can be opened and used for (cross) ventilation in summer, and the slats block unwanted guests (people and animals).