A factory where making stays in view
In Tilburg, the TextielMuseum connects an old woollen cloth factory with a workshop where visitors can watch contemporary textiles take shape.
The TextielMuseum on Goirkestraat occupies the former factory of Christiaan Mommers. The Tilburg woollen cloth manufacturer, himself the son of a home weaver, built the complex from the 1860s. The listed industrial site contains buildings from different periods. Its fabric shows that textile production was never confined to a single moment in history.
The latest major addition arrived in 2008: a glass entrance by architects Cepezed. A transparent corridor connects it to the old factory. The entrance also contains a historic damask weaving area, where patterns from different periods meet. Walking through the complex takes visitors from factory heritage to galleries without shutting the past away.
An old Jacquard loom, like the one in the 2020 photograph, makes the mechanical side of weaving tangible. Patterns require threads, technology and careful preparation to work together. In the TextielLab, visitors can then see how makers use contemporary techniques.
The former weaving hall now houses the TextielLab, the museum’s specialist workshop. Artists and designers work there with technical experts on new textile applications. Techniques include weaving, knitting, embroidery, tufting, passement and laser cutting. Visitors can observe the process at close range; what is visible depends on the projects under way at the time.
This makes the museum more than a collection of finished objects. The factory speaks of Tilburg’s textile industry, while the lab reveals the choices behind new work. The TextielMuseum opens Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm and at weekends from noon to 5 pm. Current visitor information is available on the museum website.