“We have to do something with this!” That is what Tineke Rombout said fifteen years ago when she looked at the dilapidated school building—formerly Pro Rege—in her neighborhood. Rombout, a staunch guardian of the character of the *Westelijke Tuinsteden* (Western Garden Cities), rallied local residents and the municipality to the cause; in the spring of 2013, she cut the red ribbon to open HW10, a brand-new creative hub. It became a place where creative minds could find workspace and neighbors could gather for fun activities in a district that was otherwise not particularly bustling. HW10 was a boon to the neighborhood, but the contract expired after ten years.
More sustainable
A miracle occurred. Thirteen years later, HW10 is still here. Last Friday, the scene—complete with a red ribbon and Rombout—was almost identical to the original opening. The only difference is that the building is now more sustainable, and the studios house more spaces and a mix of new creative minds. You can still dance, paint, meditate, enjoy a cup of coffee and homemade cake at *Lokaal 01*, exercise, debate, dine, watch films, do crafts, or celebrate with the neighborhood. Think of ringing in the New Year together, open studio days, the Midsummer Night party, or Children’s Book Week.
Knives
Just as they did in 2013, Maike Aerden and Michiel Hesseling—motivational performers and dazzling jugglers from Mindpepper—presented their playful act prior to the opening. They juggled not only clubs and balls (which must be kept in the air) but also verbal platitudes like *win-win*, *proactive*, *vision*, *policy*, *strategy*, *interactive*, and *result*. The audience was entertained, while local government board member Sandra Doevendans and HW10 tenant Heleen Knuvelder were scared out of their wits. In the video below, you can see the administrator taking a step forward to—in Aerden’s words—better analyze everything from the inside. Hesseling warned that the move was “not entirely without risk”—before swapping the cones for blades.
Higher rent
Doevendans survived the stunt and gave a speech about the strategic real estate plan, expressing her gratitude and pride. Founder Rombout then spoke about the remarkable achievement of pulling this off as a community of tenants, and how dull the year without the creative hub (due to the renovation) had been. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, guests were able to visit the tenants that afternoon—occupying a space saved from demolition by the renovation, secured with a lease spanning an impressive twenty years. While the rent is slightly higher, workspaces are now available in a wider range of sizes—including smaller units—starting at 150 euros per month. The ground floor still houses Lokaal 01, the coffee bar serving both the creative hub and local residents. If that doesn’t bring a neighborhood together, nothing will.
