The Evoluon was built on the initiative of Frits Philips as a permanent exhibition space, after the company had impressed with the Philips pavilion at the Brussels World Fair in the late 1950s. Architect Louis Kalff sketched three striking designs during a dinner party, where Frits Philips chose the Evoluon.
In 1966, the construction of the futuristic building was completed, as an anniversary gift from Philips to the city. It served as a showcase for the technological advancements of Philips, Eindhoven, and the world. After completion, the Evoluon was used as a technology museum, where visitors could conduct experiments themselves. The concept was groundbreaking and attracted huge numbers of visitors, especially young people. The museum covered topics such as science, health, modern comfort, communication, traffic, and world population growth.
After the success of the Evoluon as a technology museum, other institutions began to open similar museums, which led to declining visitor numbers. In 1989, the Evoluon stopped as a technology museum and was transformed into an event and conference center. Since 2012, the Evoluon has been used again for temporary exhibitions, with Philips collaborating with organizations such as Technopolis and NEMO. Since 1998, the Evoluon has become a versatile location for conferences, events and meetings, and an iconic symbol of the city.
Since January 1, 2022, Next Nature has been the new official user of the Evoluon. Together with partners from the Eindhoven ecosystem of technology and design, including the Dutch Design Foundation and the Design Academy, Next Nature strives to make the Evoluon accessible to everyone again. The monument will once again have a public function, where visitors are invited to reflect on the future of technology through exhibitions, events, lectures, training courses and publications.
Would you like to know more about the history of Philips? Then book our Philips Heritage tour.
