Stroomhuis (power house) in Eindhoven which is located close to the railway station will be completely demolished. The part that is still standing after the fire will also be taken down. “Based on careful considerations, we have had to decide that this remaining part will also be demolished”, the city council announced. The remaining part appears to be unsafe and has ‘no remaining cultural-historical value’.
A fire broke out in the cultural centre on Thursday morning, 17 October. The flames reached several metres high from the roof. It was decided quite quickly to let the building burn down in a controlled manner. “A striking and unique place in the city has unfortunately been lost. Artists and musicians have lost a home”, the municipal authorities announced on Tuesday. “A place where they felt free and where they made and shared music and art together. This is a loss for culture in the city”.
The fire has affected many people. “Equally important is the care we have for the users of the building. There are many of them”, the municipal authorities announced. “A characteristic of this breeding ground is the variety of users, who are not united in one structure. We won’t be able to reach everyone for that reason, but we will do our best”.
Donation campaign
A donation campaign for the burnt-down cultural centre was launched on the day of the fire. It has already raised more than €83,000. A number of people clearly have a lot of love for Stroomhuis and have donated a considerable amount, including a donation of €2,272. It is not yet clear what the future will be. The municipal authorities want to look into this in the coming period. “This means that we will look into possibilities for locations with users in the short term”.
A quick demolition will allow the cellar to be pumped dry, so that the users can get their belongings back. This also applies to founder André Amaro of Stroomhuis. “Everything that is there has a story. I have lost all my 25 years of art. No amount of money can match that. Hopefully some of it can still be saved”.
Amaro is disappointed that the remaining part is now also being demolished. It is the part in which he lived with two other people. “Stroomhuis is half of my life. Stroomhuis was created, not ordered”. According to him, the damage amounts to hundreds of thousands. He is happy with all the donations via the crowdfunding campaign, even though he thinks it is a single drop in the ocean. “Just the damage to the musical instruments and personal belongings… That’s already as much as this amount”.
It is still unclear whether Stroomhuis will return to the same location or perhaps to a different location. “We have to wait and see what happens next. There are many different options. The ball is now in the municipality’s and our court”.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
