The unveiling of the design on the Markt marks the start of the cultural season, The Opening
Eindhoven, 25 August 2026 – In the lead-up to Dutch Design Week (DDW) 2026, a major installation by internationally renowned artist and designer Joep van Lieshout (Atelier Van Lieshout) will be unveiled on Eindhoven’s Markt on Friday, 28 August. The Consultation Room of the Future is a large golden sculpture of a bird perched on an egg and forms part of the collaboration between DDW and Bureau Binnenstad. The unveiling of the outdoor public artwork coincides with the nationwide launch of De Opening, marking the start of the cultural season.
During DDW, from 17 to 25 October, more large-scale works will appear at well-known locations across Eindhoven, including an additional functional sculpture by Atelier Van Lieshout at Ketelhuisplein. Together, the works form a design walking route through the city centre and Strijp-S, using design to offer new perspectives on societal themes.
The large-scale installations across the city were developed through an open call for designers. The selected proposals were further developed in collaboration with Dutch Design Foundation and Bureau Binnenstad Eindhoven.
The Consultation Room of the Future – Atelier Van Lieshout
The Consultation Room of the Future is a seven-metre-tall golden bird perched proudly on a giant egg. It is one of Atelier Van Lieshout’s latest functional sculptures: an artwork and consultation room in one. Inside the egg, the patient is given a space to literally and figuratively get things off their chest. Van Lieshout uses the work to question whether technological innovations such as AI and robotics really improve our mental well-being, or whether what we need most is human interaction. The giant bird is part of Van Lieshout’s latest project, Sanitas Futurum, which explores the future of human well-being and healthcare.
Atelier Van Lieshout
After graduating from the Rotterdam Academy of Art, Joep van Lieshout quickly gained recognition for his work at the intersection of art, design and architecture. In 1995, the sculptor and visionary founded Atelier Van Lieshout, producing sculptures, installations, buildings and designer furniture that have been internationally acclaimed, exhibited and published, including AVL-Ville (2001), Slave City (2005–2009) and Domestikator (2015). Recurring themes in his work include autarky, systems, power, self-sufficiency, life, sex and death, often exploring the position of the individual within a larger whole. Van Lieshout is also the creator and founder of Brutus, located in the port of Rotterdam and one of the largest contemporary art spaces in the Netherlands. Brutus focuses on exhibitions, performances, festivals and innovative projects that extend beyond traditional museum frameworks.
About Bureau Binnenstad Eindhoven
Bureau Binnenstad Eindhoven, the executive organisation of BIZ Eindhoven Centrum, represents this public-private partnership in Eindhoven’s city centre. We work together with and report to BIZ Eindhoven Centrum and, through a cooperation agreement, to the Municipality of Eindhoven. Bureau Binnenstad Eindhoven was established to activate and streamline initiatives that contribute to a vibrant city centre and to bring all relevant stakeholders together on a structural basis. Its vision, mission and core values define what we collectively stand for and work towards.
About DDW
Dutch Design Week (DDW) is the platform for high-quality design. DDW is about the design of the future and the future of design. It opens up, inspires, shares and connects. During the nine-day event, Eindhoven is entirely dedicated to design, showcasing every imaginable discipline and aspect of the field. The focus is on expertise and talent, experimentation, innovation and crossovers. Dutch Design Week is also a platform for putting design as a profession on the agenda and creating space for debate around its role and development
