18 Septemberplein in Eindhoven is the square at the north end of Eindhoven's fashionable central shopping district. It is the location of the Piazza shopping mall and the prestigious department store, 'de Bijenkorf.'In 2007 an extensive excavation started in the square, revealing the remnants of old Eindhoven structures but also raising the question, why? Why was a fairly major excavation going on? What was the purpose?
The only clues were artist's impressions of what appeared to be a pair of tubular entrances/exits to some sort of underground passage. When I returned to Eindhoven in 2010, the construction had been recently completed but (above), but still provided little if any clue as to its purpose, so being naturally inquisitive, I took a closer look.
The sight of a motorcycle didn't seem strange, one sees motorcycles and bicycles everywhere in the Netherlands, and Eindhoven is no exception.
But when the rider got off his motorcycle and walked it onto the escalator, I did think that was a little strange - if it was an underpass, why not drive through? All was about to become clear...
As we neared the end of our descent, we appeared to be entering a vast underground cycle park.
If you click on the photos, you can see them in greater detail. This place was massive!
It really was very impressive, and as I wandered around the place, it was clear that the problems of where to store bikes so that they don't create the typical unsightly messes, and also provide safe storage where bicycles cannot be stolen, was solved. Albeit at vast expense!
In the center of the underground bicycle park, some of the excavated ruins from old Eindhoven had been preserved.
Of course, as one leaves the cavern, ascending the escalator on the west side, one cannot fail to be impressed by the way that the old Philips factory comes into view.
If the underground bicycle park wasn't impressive enough, another interesting and almost as puzzling building meets you at the top of the escalator. See the next post.
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