People@Places in a unique F16 Shelter
The former F16 shelter B535 at Technology Base in Enschede has been transformed into a modern venue by ArchitectenLab. The former F16 shelter B535 at Technology Base has been transformed into a modern venue with meeting rooms, consulting rooms and offices. People@Places rents out the space for meetings, events and office work.
M2uur bv was commissioned to develop a proposal to decorate the walls in the shelter with unique works of art. For this special place, M2uur bv selected and processed eight atmospheric images that strongly connect with the location’s rich history.
Seven walls were fitted with seamless wallpaper, while an impressive glass partition wall was covered with a one-way vision foil. The foil was printed with a powerful visual image of a life-size F16.
In the 1930s, Twente textile barons and the local government set up an airport to improve connectivity with the Randstad, but competition with the railways led to its closure just before World War II.
During the war, the Germans greatly expanded the airfield, adding barracks and camouflage buildings that have partly survived.
After the war, the Dutch Air Force took over the site and continued building, including shelters and hangars for F16s and one of the longest runways in the Netherlands.
After closure in 2008 for military and civilian air traffic, the area was given a new purpose. In 2010, the land passed to the province of Overijssel and the municipality of Enschede.
The former airbase has since been developed into residential parks, a nature area, an event site, and an innovative Technology Base.