With a focus on inclusivity, accessibility, and social responsibility, UNS has collaborated with the Textile Museum in Tilburg to create a shared vision and spatial exploration that addresses both the current and future needs of the museum. This approach aims to strengthen the museum’s connection with visitors and the local community, ensuring its relevance for years to come.

What is the role of a museum today, and how can it evolve to remain meaningful in the future? Is it a community space, a cultural research institute, a knowledge-sharing hub, or a social catalyst? To answer these questions, UNS conducted in-depth listening and research exercises with the museum and its stakeholders. This process helped define the “soft parameters” that will shape the museum’s future, ensuring it adapts to changing societal needs.

With visitor numbers at record highs, the need to expand the Textile Museum has become essential. However, this expansion is more than just a response to capacity—it’s an opportunity to redefine the museum’s role in society and transform the way it engages with its visitors.

In our spatial exploration, UNS proposed several scenarios that reimagine how the museum can function both during and beyond its opening hours. Today’s museum visitors seek more than passive observation—they want to actively participate and co-create within the museum.

The Textile Museum has the potential to become a community catalyst, a place where people come together to connect and collaborate. By reclaiming its heritage as a former factory and a pillar of the community, the museum can transform into a space of social connection and pride for the local population.

This vision not only enhances the visitor experience but also positions the museum as a dynamic and integral part of the community, fostering a sense of belonging and shared purpose.

Read more about the Textile Museum here.