TILBURG - In Your Pocket

Theatres Tilburg (Schouwburg) B-4, Louisbouwmeesterplein
1, tel. (+31) 135 43 22 20, www.theaterstilburg.nl.
Voted one of the most beautiful buildings in the
Netherlands by a group of four leading Dutch architects in
2009, this theatre is literally ‘a brick ode to the sixties’. The
edifice perfectly fits its surroundings and still has a modern
look despite its age. Naturally a lot of rebuilding and renovating
has taken place throughout the years, but much of the
decor is still from the 1960s, such as the benches that were
designed by the architect Bijvoet. Even the chairs inside the
theatre are originals. Q J
Tilburg University H-5, Warandelaan 2, tel. (+31) 134
66 91 11, www.tilburguniversity.edu. The University of Tilburg
was established in 1927 as a Catholic business school.
Now, many years later, it’s the leading university in the Netherlands
in business studies and its Faculty of Economics is the
third most renowned in Europe. Its many high-rise university
buildings are surrounded by woodland so the higher floors
offer superb views of the greenery outside and the Tilburg
skyline. Roughly 12,000 students study here at six different
faculties every day, or at least the ones that aren’t hungover
from the often exhausting student lifestyle. Student housing
surrounds the hundreds of square meters of university buildings
and there’s even a supermarket and a student pub on
the premises. In the 1980s all higher vocational education
institutes received permission to call themselves universities.
This caused a problem for the Katholieke Hogeschool Tilburg,
as it was called then. Because Catholic University Tilburg
would stand for a rather inappropriate abbreviation (kut, a
very rude Dutch word for the female genitalia) for a while the
University opted to call itself Catholic University Brabant. In
2001 the university received the name it now carries, but in
international circles it’s often known as Tilburg University.
QOpen 07:30 - 18:30. Closed Sat, Sun. GKW
Westpoint I-5, Hart van Brabantlaan. The sixth tallest
building in Holland was built in Tilburg in 2004. Westpoint
measures an impressive 143m in height, which is less than
22 meters shorter than the Maastoren in Rotterdam, the
Netherlands’ tallest edifice. Hundreds of people live and work
in this colourful concrete colossus, which can be seen from
several kilometres away due to its frequent use of distinctive
light sources. The 47m-tower contains 154 apartments. Q
Churches & Religious buildings
Hasselt Chapel (Hasseltse Kapel) H-5, Hasseltplein,
tel. (+31) 134 68 10 89, www.hasseltsekapel.nl. This
chapel is located on a small square and dates back to 1536.
The statue of Mary was added to the chapel in 1796 and
now the church organises an open day during celebrations
honouring Mary. This small house of prayer has had several
functions over the years from a weaver’s house and a guest
house to an emergency hospital. These days the charming
chapel is mainly used as a place to get married, although a
prayer service is held once a month. QOpen 09:00 - 19:00.
St. Dionysos Church C-3, Stadhuisstraat 370. The
present Church of St. Dionysius, popularly known as Heikese
Church, was completed in 1826. Its style is neoclassical and
inside you’ll find pillars with Ionian capitals. The tower is the
only remaining authentic part of the original 15th-century
Gothic church, which makes it the oldest church in Tilburg.
Due to the ‘new’ bricks that were added in 1895, the tower
actually seems to be newer than the rest of the building.
The Heikese Church also has two 15th-century candleholders
and a 17th-century painting in its possession. QOpen
Sat 18:30 - 20:00, Sun 10:30 - 12:00. Closed Mon, Tue,
Wed, Thu, Fri. J
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
WHAT TO SEE E37
WHAT TO SEE
St. Joseph’s Church
(St. Jozefkerk) D-2,
Heuvelring 122. St.
Joseph’s Church, which
people in Tilburg often refer
to as Heuvelse Church,
is a neo-Gothic crossshaped
basilica with three
transepts. The church,
which was designed by
Hendrik van Tulder, was
built between 1872 and
1889. The two octagonal
72m-high towers at the
front stand out and make
this church the fourth
highest building in Tilburg.
The church displays many influences from the French Gothic
period as well as St. John’s Cathedral in Den Bosch. In the
1950s the transept was extended. The main organ as well as
the choir organ and the church itself are national monuments.
QOpen 08:00 - 18:30. J
St. Paul’s Church (Pauluskerk) B-3, Heuvelstraat
141, www.pkn-tilburg.nl. This neoclassical style octagonal
St. Paul’s Church was originally built in 1822 as a protestant
house of worship. A much older pipe organ from 1765 was
later placed in the church and is still there to be admired.
King William I of Holland visited the church only once, but King
Willem ll of Holland visited the church whenever he stayed in
Tilburg. In 2004 it was thoroughly renovated and both the
church and the organ are now considered to be national monuments.
These days St. Paul’s belongs to an Indonesian-Dutch
Christian congregation. Q J
Süleymanìye Mosque (Süleymanìye Moskee)
I-5, Wandelboslaan 2, tel. (+31) 135 35 03 92, info@
suleymaniye.nl, www.suleymaniye.nl. The architecture
of Tilburg’s biggest mosque is a combination of modern
and Islamic styles. The roof of the building resembles a
half moon, with a star on top, but this isn’t really visible
from the ground. The star protrudes slightly to indicate
the direction of Mecca. If you’d like to see the interior you
have to make an appointment. Tours are on Tuesdays and
Wednesdays. Q G
Jan Taminiau
From January 27, 2013, the
Audax Textielmuseum Tilburg
will feature an exhibition
titled ‘Het ambacht van Jan
Taminiau’ (The Craft of Jan
Taminiau). The collections of
fashion designer Jan Taminiau
(Goirle, 1975), which he
developed in the museum’s
TextielLab will be on display.
His couture, described by
connoisseurs as grand, dramatic
and unconventional, has been worn by Princess
Máxima, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. Connoisseurs we are
not, but the designs are unmistakably remarkable and
feminine. Roel van Tour made a feature film especially
for the museum, which offers a glimpse of the designer’s
unique working method.
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013