Audax Textielmuseum Tilburg

Building

The most characteristic factory buildings were erected by the Tilburg woollen fabrics manufacturer and son of a home weaver Christiaan Mommers (1836-1900). These consist of a wide, low factory building (1876-1878) with a wooden shed roof, in which the weaving mill was situated, and a high factory building (1885) for the spinning mill.

The Shed
This ‘shed’, the heart of the museum in which textile machines are in full operation, is very unique from an industrial-archaeological viewpoint, because almost all remaining shed roof constructions in the Netherlands and abroad are made of cast iron. In Tilburg in those days the metal industry had not yet been developed, and wood served as the usual construction material. The shed building had great advantages: floor load did not play a role, and the slanted windows on the north side ensured an optimum incidence of light. That was useful for the weaving.

The high building
The high factory building is narrow and long, and has many windows. In Tilburg at that time this building caused a sensation. With its four floors it was in fact the tallest factory building in the city. In the cotton industry in Twente these buildings had already existed for some time. They were derived from the usual constructions for spinning halls in England. From the machine room at the narrow end of the building it was possible to make connections over short distances to all the floors.

In this building the museum has arranged two (semi) permanent exhibitions: a historical staging of a ‘Woollen blanket factory 1900-1940’ on the ground floor and the multimedia exhibition 'Warm hearts, cool heads. Working in the textile industry from 1860 to today’ on the first floor. On these two storeys the floors are supported by handsome cast iron columns.

The steam machine
Another historical artefact in the museum is the reconstructed machine room (1904) with the original steam engine. The machine did not come from the Mommers factory, but from another woollen blanket factory in Tilburg, A & N Mutsaerts. This imposing machine turned out to be the most intact one. Although the steam engine dates from 1906, the complete setup has not been restored to how it was in that year. So the generator too, with the accompanying control panel comes from 1923. The steam engine, which is now electrically driven, sets the machines in the ‘Woollen blanket factory’ in operation via the original dive shafts system. All these things, the architecture, the buildings, original machines, sounds and smells, they all evoke memories of the once so renowned and for many people dominant textile past in Tilburg.

The Entrance Building
Since May 2008 the Textile Museum has a new contemporary Entrance Building, which, together with the historic buildings, shows that the museum offers visitors, designers, artists and students an exceptional and hospitable environment in all its facets. The building contains attractive and welcoming provisions for eating and drinking (‘bij Mommers’ and the Foyer), a large TextileShop, professional Meeting Rooms and an Auditorium. With the crowning touch on the uppermost storey being a special Platform with a beautiful view over the entire Mommers quarter. The firm of architects Cepezed in Delft was responsible for the design of the building. For the interior design Bas van Tol from Studio’s Müller en Van Tol in Amsterdam was responsible.

More information about the entrance building >