The project team presented the adaptive reuse concept for the NYMA water tower, demonstrating how industrial heritage can be transformed into a vibrant space while preserving its unique historical character. This tower, once an integral part of the old NYMA silk factory, has been reimagined as a public landmark that unites hospitality, culture, and community.
Today, this space houses a restaurant, flexible conference rooms, and a panoramic bar, serving as a hub for gathering, creativity, and social interaction. Originally built in 1929, the tower served a dual function: it acted as a water reservoir and a ventilation shaft for the factory. It remains the only water reservoir in the Netherlands built on a separate structure, making it a prominent feature of both the industrial complex and the Nijmegen skyline for nearly a century.
The transformation is based on a careful balance between preservation and innovation. Key historical elements, such as the exposed concrete structure, steel facade, monumental brickwork, and iconic NYMA signage, have been meticulously restored. Simultaneously, the interior space has been reconfigured to meet modern requirements for comfort, accessibility, and functionality.
The tower consists of seven levels. The first and ground floors accommodate the restaurant, while three intermediate levels offer flexible areas for events, meetings, and cultural activities. To ensure natural light penetrates the deep structure, an entire octagonal segment of the tower was opened from bottom to top, framing expansive views of the Waal River. The fifth and sixth floors are equipped with a panoramic bar. Directly beneath the upper concrete ring is a large panoramic window offering breathtaking views of Nijmegen. This opening, carefully integrated into the existing structure, remains almost inconspicuous from the outside, while maintaining the tower's imposing and closed appearance. Like in the original design, the roof retains its large central opening, allowing visitors to enjoy both the sky and the bustling city square below from the bar.
Sustainable development has become an integral part of the transformation. New flooring structures are made of cross-laminated timber (CLT), and lightweight wooden wall constructions minimize material use while complementing the industrial aesthetic. Renewable energy is provided by a combination of photovoltaic panels and solar heating systems. Throughout the project, the genius loci of NYMA—its industrial heritage, craftsmanship history, and iconic image—has been carefully preserved and reinterpreted. The result is a future-oriented landmark where heritage, sustainability, and community life meet meaningfully and inspiringly.
The development of the NYMA water tower was guided by three monumental architectural elements defining the original structure's identity: the brickwork of the upper ring, the exposed concrete structure, and the old steel chimney facade, which is largely lost today but conceptually present. On the scale of the entire complex, the key idea was to make the tower accessible to the public and strengthen its role as a visual landmark in the NYMA area. This goal led to the concept of vertically opening the tower and framing its connection with the surrounding landscape. One of the main drivers of the project was the creation of stunning viewing platforms, allowing visitors to admire the panoramas of the Waal River and the city of Nijmegen. The project relies on the reuse of the existing reinforced concrete structure, which forms the permanent structural core of the building. New structural interventions are predominantly executed in steel, ensuring precision, strength, and minimal impact on the original construction. The combination of these factors transformed what initially seemed like a simple external addition into a highly complex design challenge requiring constant coordination between architecture, construction, and manufacturing.
Given the rapid obsolescence of modern buildings compared to cities' capacity to promote their regeneration, the REDGE Contemporary Art Center adopts the concept of adaptive reuse. This approach aims not only to conserve existing structures but also to extend the longevity of recent built environments.
The project was conceived by Atelier Meadow, led by Edoardo Nieri. The REDGE Contemporary Art Center converts the three lower floors of an office tower, completed less than ten years ago, into a public cultural space in the city of Chengdu, China.
This venture was commissioned as part of the development of Chengdu Tianfu International Biotown. It integrates exhibitions, educational activities, open events, and creative production into a rapidly growing innovation sector. Thus, it establishes a new civic landmark, situated between research centers and Yong'an Lake Nature Park.
