Heritage manhole covers
The story of Eindhoven’s post-war reconstruction is right beneath your feet
How do you keep heritage alive for residents and visitors of a city?
Downtown Eindhoven has a wealth of architectural heritage—if you know where to look. The heritage manhole covers, designed by Atelier van Asseldonk, help guide the way.
For this project, Atelier van Asseldonk worked closely with Stichting Wederopbouw Eindhoven. Together with experts from the foundation, designer Aart van Asseldonk explored the city center, photographing remarkable details—at the train station, on the Demer, at Stratumseind, and beyond. Inspired by distinctive architectural features from Eindhoven’s post-war reconstruction period, Atelier van Asseldonk created a relief design. This relief became the foundation for the 300 manhole covers installed throughout downtown. A full-scale version of the relief will be installed in Corten steel on a new building in Stationsstraat, near Eindhoven Central Station.
About the designers and initiators
Atelier van Asseldonk
Atelier van Asseldonk merges traditional craftsmanship with modern techniques and insights. The studio works for private clients, in public spaces, and for organizations, creating both commissioned and autonomous work. Their designs span art projects, architecture, interior concepts, and product design, blending functional design with conceptual thinking.
Past projects include designing the office space for BRUNS DeStijlfactory and creating unique pieces for CHV Noordkade Veghel and restaurant Waag in Leiden. The studio is also known for its industrial-style octagonal lamps, such as the ‘Trouble Light,’ seen at Strijp-T in Eindhoven.For more information, visit ateliervanasseldonk.com.
Stichting Wederopbouw Eindhoven
Stichting Wederopbouw Eindhoven—officially known as Stichting Bescherming Wederopbouwerfgoed Eindhoven (Foundation for the Protection of Reconstruction Heritage Eindhoven)—is a group of architects, urban planners, and other professionals. The foundation advises the municipality, property owners, and developers on preserving post-war heritage, particularly during building renovations or neighborhood redevelopments. They also promote awareness of this heritage through guided tours, ensuring the story of Eindhoven’s reconstruction remains alive.
For more information, visit sbweindhoven.nl.About Eindhoven’s post-war reconstruction
During World War II (1940-1945), the German occupiers took control of the Philips factories. The Allies attempted to drive them out with bombings, which destroyed part of the city center. After the war, the municipal government demolished even more of Eindhoven’s downtown area to modernize the city and improve traffic flow. These efforts transformed the cityscape: the train station and railway were relocated, a ring road was built, and Eindhoven expanded rapidly to meet the urgent demand for housing. However, in the post-war era, resources were scarce. This necessity shaped a distinctive architectural style. Eindhoven Central Station is one of the most striking examples of post-war architecture and is now a national monument. Other key buildings from this period include the bridge over the Dommel at Stratumseind, the structures along the Demer and Hermanus Boexstraat, and the Designhuis (formerly the district court). The post-war reconstruction period generally covers buildings constructed between the end of World War II and 1965. However, for the heritage manhole covers, this timeframe was expanded to include notable Eindhoven architecture from 1929 through the 1970s.
More on the post-war reconstruction‘‘The manhole covers serve as stepping stones to tell the story of the post-war period. They highlight just how remarkable this era was.’’Harrie van Helmond | Stichting Wederopbouw Eindhoven
The project's origin
In 2020, Cultuur Eindhoven launched an open call, inviting designers, architects, and creatives to address contemporary challenges related to Eindhoven’s heritage. Aart van Asseldonk responded to this call, driven by his passion for heritage and architecture. The open-call process included speed-dating sessions with various heritage organizations in Eindhoven. The meeting with Stichting Wederopbouw Eindhoven was a perfect match: the foundation sought creative ways to make Eindhoven’s post-war history visible to residents, while Aart saw exciting design possibilities. And so, the collaboration began!
The process
The idea
Cultuur Eindhoven’s open call didn’t come with a predefined assignment, giving Atelier van Asseldonk and Stichting Wederopbouw Eindhoven creative freedom. They began their research with a guided tour through downtown Eindhoven. Where exactly is post-war architecture located? What does it look like, and what makes it special?
Together, they identified unique details—such as the train station’s design and the facades along the Demer—and explored what made this period so distinctive. In the post-war years, architects had to be creative with limited resources. Today, the challenge is different: we have ample resources, but creativity lies in using fewer materials and building more sustainably and affordably.
The sandstone artwork ‘Ik kom, Ik ga’ on the facade of Eindhoven Central Station inspired Aart van Asseldonk. What if all the details from the post-war period were combined into a single relief?
‘‘The more you know about your city’s history, the more connected you feel to it. The manhole covers help foster that connection.’’Jennemie Stoelhorst | Gemeente Eindhoven
The plan
Stichting Wederopbouw Eindhoven wanted to make post-war architecture a visible part of the streetscape—not through temporary installations like information boards, but by integrating it seamlessly into the city itself.
Aart transformed the relief into a graphic design that the municipality could also use as a design tool for public spaces. With the digital version of the relief, the studio and foundation completed their assignment for Cultuur Eindhoven. However, they continued independently to bring the project to life in the streets.
Aart presented the relief design multiple times to Eindhoven’s urban design team, which was enthusiastic about the concept and invited him to develop new manhole covers based on it.
‘‘Eindhoven is geen lelijke stad, zolang je weet waar je moet kijken. Deze putdeksels helpen daarbij. Voor een nieuwe blik op vroeger en nu.’’Aart van Asseldonk| Atelier van Asseldonk
The execution
The design features abstracted architectural details from Eindhoven. The border consists of five segments, each depicting an architectural icon: the Klokgebouw, Eindhoven Central Station, the Parktheater, Philips Stadion, and the Bijenkorf building. These five segments symbolize the five villages that formed Eindhoven. The covers also include details from post-war architecture on the Demer. The city’s historic boundary—drawn by Jacob van Deventer in the 16th century—runs through the center, and ‘Eindhoven’ is prominently displayed. To keep costs in line with standard manhole covers, the design was carefully developed with Nering Bögel. The manufacturer also ensured that the design met safety and durability standards while being suitable for cast iron production.
All heritage manhole covers in downtown Eindhoven share the same design, except those on the Demer. Due to the high cost of creating a casting mold for just a few covers, Atelier van Asseldonk developed a unique solution: these covers combine cast iron with processed steel. These distinctive covers on the Demer are the finishing touch of the project—one-of-a-kind elements that complete the story.
‘‘Of course we wanted to create a unique manhole cover for Eindhoven! A special project and a special collaboration.’’Henri van Geneijgen | Nering Bögel
The results
The manhole covers in downtown Eindhoven showcase unique architecture from the city. As such, the covers are unmistakably Eindhoven. They fit well with a city that represents technology, design, and knowledge. The hope is to provide visitors and residents with more context about the manhole covers in the future, allowing those interested to better understand the story behind the details.
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