View source for Evoluon

{{Short description|Building in Eindhoven, the Netherlands}}
{{needs additional citations|date=February 2024}}
[[Image:Evoluon logos.png|thumb|right|250px|Current (left) logo of the conference centre and logo (right) of the original museum.]]
[[File:Overzicht - Eindhoven - 20396787 - RCE - Cropped.jpg|thumb|View from the south]]
{{coord|51|26|37|N|5|26|49|E|display=title}}

The '''Evoluon''' is a UFO-shaped building located in [[Eindhoven]], the [[Netherlands]]. It was built in 1966 as a [[science museum]] by the electronics and electrical company [[Philips]]. It quickly became a landmark in Eindhoven, where Philips was headquartered at the time. The museum closed in 1989 and the building became a [[Convention center|conference centre]] and exhibition venue in 1998. In 2022 it reopened for the general public again as the Next Nature Museum.<ref>{{cite web |title=Next Nature Museum |url=https://nextnature.museum}}</ref>

The building is unique due to its very futuristic design, resembling a landed [[flying saucer]]. It was designed by architects [[Leo de Bever]] and [[Louis Christiaan Kalff]],<ref name=NOS>{{cite web|url=http://nos.nl/artikel/2052428-architect-evoluon-leo-de-bever-overleden.html |title=Architect Evoluon Leo de Bever overleden |language=nl |publisher=[[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting]] |date=17 August 2015 |access-date=23 August 2015}}</ref> while the exhibition it housed was conceived by [[James Gardner (designer)|James Gardner]]. De Bever and Kalff only got two demands for the design of the building, it had to be "spectacular" and it had to be possible to hold exhibitions in the building.<ref name=NOS/>

Its concrete dome is {{convert|77|m|ft}} in diameter and is held in place by {{convert|169|km|mi}} of [[rebar|reinforcing steel bars]].

In the 1960s and 1970s the Evoluon attracted large numbers of visitors due to its innovative interactive exhibitions. When competing science museums opened in other cities, the number of visitors declined and the original museum closed down in 1989. The building was converted into a conference centre which opened in 1998.

In the [[UK]] the Evoluon is chiefly remembered from [[Bert Haanstra]]'s wordless short film entitled simply ''Evoluon'', commissioned by Philips to publicise the museum, and shown as a [[trade test colour films|trade test colour film]] on [[BBC]] television from 1968 to 1972.

In October 2013 the Evoluon was used to stage four 3D-concerts by the German electronic band [[Kraftwerk]], each before an audience of 1,200 spectators. Key band member [[Ralf Hütter]] handpicked the venue for its [[retro-futuristic]] look. Bespoke 3D-visuals of the saucer section of the building descending from space were used in the live rendition of their track ''Spacelab''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4RscwiGhAc | title=Kraftwerk - Spacelab (Live @ Evoluon 18-10-2013) - YouTube | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref>

On September 24, 2022, the Evoluon reopened to the public with the ''RetroFuture'' exhibition.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://nextnature.org/projects/retrofuture | title=RetroFuture – Technology is Our Next Nature }}</ref>


<gallery widths="150" heights="150">
Overzicht_voorzijde_-_Eindhoven_-_20357095_-_RCE_crop.jpg|View from the north
Luchtfoto_Randweg_Eindhoven,_Strijp_crop.jpg|Aerial view in 2009
Evoluon91.jpg|Night view in 1991
cmglee Evoluon lounge.jpg|Entrance lobby
Interieur Evoluon.jpg|Interior in 1968
cmglee_Evoluon_interior_portrait.jpg|Interior in 2016
</gallery>
{{wide image|cmglee_Evoluon_interior_panorama.jpg|400px|Stitched panorama of its interior}}

==See also==
* [[List of convention centres in the Netherlands]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline|Evoluon}}
*[http://www.evoluon.com Official website]
*[http://www.evoluon.org Extensive site about the history of the Evoluon]
*[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Company-Publications/Philips-Technical-Review/70s/Philips-Technical-Review-1970.pdf Philips Technical Review 1970 5/6] -- article on The Evoluon at page 186


[[Category:Convention centres in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Defunct museums in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Museums in Eindhoven]]
[[Category:Science museums in the Netherlands]]