Villa De Laak, located at Parklaan 99 in the Tongelre district, derives its name from a branch of the river De Dommel that used to flow through the estate. This imposing villa was built in 1907 by order of Anton Philips, co-founder of Philips, and designed by Johan Wilhelm Hanrath. The villa, built in the style of the 19th century, includes in addition to the main house, a coach house, orangery, coachman’s house, gardener’s house, house servant/driver’s house and a beautiful garden with a moat around it, designed by Leonard Springer.
The buildings form a harmonious architectural whole, with the main building characterized by strict symmetry. Previously, Anton Philips and Henriëtte Anna Philips lived here, and during the Second World War, Frits Philips stayed in De Laak to keep the Philips company running. Although the complex is not open to the public, it can be easily seen from Parklaan and Nachtegaallaan. Villa de Laak is only used for very important consultations. For example, in 2024 there was an important consultation between the municipality of Eindhoven, ASML and the Dutch government. This discussion was the basis for the ‘Beethoven’ package of measures, in which € 2.51 billion was earmarked for education, knowledge and spatial infrastructure. With this package of measures, the Dutch microchip sector will be strengthened and support further growth of the activities in Brainport Eindhoven.
The area, known as Villapark, was originally a suburb of Tongelre where mainly manufacturers built their houses. Later, the senior staff of Philips also settled here, with Anton Philips as one of the pioneers of this neighborhood.
Would you like to know more about the history of Philips? Then book our Philips Heritage tour.
