On Tuesday evening the Eindhoven city council voted to allocate an extra €2.8 million for Museumpark Vonk. However, this does not mean that the construction of the museum building is certain.
The additional €2.8 million initially raised questions among several factions within the city council. The board aimed to clarify these concerns by explaining the figures.
The explanation reveals that there has been an inflation of around 24 percent compared to the original plans from 2019. Furthermore, the plans have evolved so much, and the additional costs have been structured differently, that the revised 2024 plan is hard to compare with the initial proposal.
Green light
The explanation proved satisfactory to the city council, which gave the go-ahead on Tuesday. However, this does not guarantee the finalisation of the museum building. Construction firm BAM, which won the tender, still needs to reduce the construction costs to 8 million euros. Discussions are currently ongoing with the contractor and Eindhoven Museum.
8 million euros
BAM was awarded the tender with a plan costing €9.9 million. An external expert has stated that this amount is too high and that the project could be realised for €8.9 million. By further adjusting the plans from the final design, the museum building should eventually be able to be constructed for 8 million euros. Eindhoven Museum and BAM are still in talks regarding this.
Ward Rennen, director of Eindhoven Museum, is confident that the parties will reach an agreement. “It is very clear that the construction budget is fixed. BAM has indicated that they expect to reduce costs to that amount. This could be achieved by simplifying the roof construction, using more wood instead of steel, and revising the type of cooling system installed in the building.”
Back to the market
If BAM fails to reduce the construction costs, the project could be significantly delayed. “If it doesn’t work out, we’ll first reconvene to identify the issues. But if we really can’t resolve it, we’ll be free to return to the market and engage with another party,” says Rennen.
Summer
This scenario would be a major setback, which is why the museum faces some tense months ahead. However, Ward Rennen remains optimistic. “The expectation is that a definitive agreement will be reached with BAM before the summer holidays,” says Rennen. “Construction can then begin after the summer.”
Source: Studio040
For Eindhoven News: Chaitali Sengupta.
