Pretty Plastic: from Pavillion to Pool
PRETTY PLASTIC: FROM PAVILION TO POOL
Eindhoven, October 2024 – Pretty Plastic, producer of innovative and sustainable cladding tiles made from 100% recycled PVC, is once again making a significant step in circular construction. From this autumn, the largest application of their material to date will be showcased on the façade of the renovated the Tongelreep National Swimming Centre in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. With no fewer than 30,800 tiles, spread over 1,400 m², this project marks a new milestone in sustainable architecture.
The Pretty Plastic cladding tiles are a tangible outcome of the circular architectural vision that emerged in 2017 during Dutch Design Week (DDW). The pioneering People’s Pavilion, designed by Overtreders W and bureau SLA, introduced a fully borrowed and recycled building that garnered international attention. This project inspired the founding of Pretty Plastic and the development of an aesthetic, recycled cladding material.
Peter van Assche, co-founder of Pretty Plastic and bureau SLA, reflects on the journey:
"At DDW 2016, we presented just two square metres of shingles, handcrafted in our self-built recycling factory. Thanks to the courage and vision of DDW, we were invited to create an entire pavilion at DDW 2017 based on those two square metres. This project gave us the springboard to fulfil our mission of cleaning up plastic waste."
This pavilion challenged architects worldwide to think more radically about circular construction and spurred the development of Pretty Plastic as a commercial product. The application on the façade of the Tongelreep is the largest project to date, demonstrating new possibilities both aesthetically and in terms of innovation.
Martijn Paulen, Director of the Dutch Design Foundation, is proud of the journey from concept to market-ready product:
"The People’s Pavilion at DDW 2017 introduced a completely new perspective on circular construction: a 100% borrowed building. I am so proud that Overtreders W and bureau SLA demonstrated the courage, perseverance, and entrepreneurship to turn the beautiful prototype cladding from that project into a captivating product for the market. Made from 100% recycled PVC! How full-circle can a project come now that ‘our’ new Tongelreep features this as its cladding? Sustainable and magnificent. Kudos to Pretty Plastic and the Municipality of Eindhoven."
De Tongelreep: Innovation in Circular Architecture
For the renovation of the Tongelreep, a national swimming centre and an iconic building in Eindhoven, the choice fell on Pretty Plastic due to its sustainability, aesthetic versatility, and local character of the product. Slangen+Koenis Architects, responsible for the design, believed in the potential of Pretty Plastic from the outset. The start-up collaborated smoothly with the Municipality of Eindhoven and contractor Mertens Bouwbedrijf to ensure the project maintained its circular character.
The façade concept for De Tongelreep seamlessly aligns with the existing swimming stadium, featuring a robust anthracite base that contrasts with the more open sections. For the enclosed parts of the swimming areas, small-scale shingles were chosen, adding texture and depth to the façade. Pretty Plastic’s shingles are easy to install and can be cut to size on-site, offering flexibility in detailing. The design incorporates a varying pattern, enhanced with a gradient of three green tones that subtly reference the surrounding landscape of the Tongelreep River.
A Full Circle with the Tongelreep
According to Hester van Dijk, co-founder of Pretty Plastic and Overtreders W, this project is the culmination of years of development and collaboration:
“In ten years, we have transformed plastic waste into a building material that is now used worldwide. Pretty Plastic now offers cladding tiles in twelve different colours and three distinct designs, each with its own character and qualities. With the façade of the Tongelreep, we are realising our largest project to date, and we are proud that this circular innovation, with the Dutch Design Foundation playing a key role in the process, is coming to life here in Eindhoven.”
Future Vision: Sustainability and Aesthetics in Balance
Pretty Plastic proves that aesthetics and sustainability can go hand in hand. The large-scale use of recycled PVC in the façade of the Tongelreep marks an important step towards a circular economy, where waste is transformed into valuable raw materials.
During Dutch Design Week 2024, Pretty Plastic will celebrate this milestone and highlight the impact of recycled plastic in the construction industry.
For more information about Pretty Plastic, pictures, a tour, interview or lecture, please contact us.
About Pretty Plastic
Pretty Plastic produces cladding tiles made from 100% recycled PVC waste, sourced from old building materials such as window frames and drainpipes. This sustainable and aesthetic material is used in architectural projects worldwide that aim for circular construction. Please check our Projects page.
About Slangen+Koenis Architects
Slangen+Koenis Architects specialises in the design of sports and swimming facilities. Since the Cradle-to-Cradle Geusseltbad in Maastricht (2013), the firm has been creating projects where timber construction, circularity, and product innovation play a central role.
Credits
Commissioned by: Municipality of Eindhoven, the Netherlands
Architecture: Slangen+Koenis Architects
Contractor: Mertens Bouwbedrijf
Photo People’s Pavilion Dutch Design Week 2017: Filip Dujardin
Photos of the Tongelreep: Maarten van Apeldoorn Fotografie and download high res pictures here.
