The Evoluon: the history of the future
The company that would later grow into the global Philips corporation was founded in 1891 by Gerard Philips in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. In 1966, Frits Philips, Gerard's nephew and the corporation's CEO, marked the corporation's 75th anniversary by building the Evoluon, a museum of science and technology. The Evoluon opened on 24 September 1966 to welcome the first of millions of people, many of whom must look back on their visit with fond memories.
For decades, the Evoluon was unique in Europe. An architectural sensation, it was built to house the Man and Progress Museum, which acquainted visitors with the latest technology and how Philips had contributed to the technological revolution. A visit to the Evoluon was an adventure for young and old. Visitors learned about the past, present and future of science and technology and unlocked the secrets of nature, the electron, the atom, magnetic fields and space flight. The Evoluon gave everyone who visited an opportunity to see just how important science and technology was in everyday life.
In the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s, the Evoluon drew half a million visitors a year. When the concept began to run out of steam, the Philips corporation decided to turn Holland’s most famous building into a conference centre for the Philips divisions. Only the permanent exhibition of all of Philips’ products, past and present, gave some indication of the Evoluon’s original role. In 1998, the futuristic structure once more opened its doors to welcome a larger public, this time as a luxury commercial conference facility. The new formula proved to be a success, and today the Evoluon can by rights be called a world class conference centre. More information about the history of the Evoluon: www.evoluon.org.
History on film
The company that would later grow into the global Philips corporation was founded in 1891 by Gerard Philips in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. In 1966, Frits Philips, Gerard's nephew and the corporation's CEO, marked the corporation's 75th anniversary by building the Evoluon, a museum of science and technology. The Evoluon opened on 24 September 1966 to welcome the first of millions of people, many of whom must look back on their visit with fond memories.
For decades, the Evoluon was unique in Europe. An architectural sensation, it was built to house the Man and Progress Museum, which acquainted visitors with the latest technology and how Philips had contributed to the technological revolution. A visit to the Evoluon was an adventure for young and old. Visitors learned about the past, present and future of science and technology and unlocked the secrets of nature, the electron, the atom, magnetic fields and space flight. The Evoluon gave everyone who visited an opportunity to see just how important science and technology was in everyday life.
In the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s, the Evoluon drew half a million visitors a year. When the concept began to run out of steam, the Philips corporation decided to turn Holland’s most famous building into a conference centre for the Philips divisions. Only the permanent exhibition of all of Philips’ products, past and present, gave some indication of the Evoluon’s original role. In 1998, the futuristic structure once more opened its doors to welcome a larger public, this time as a luxury commercial conference facility. The new formula proved to be a success, and today the Evoluon can by rights be called a world class conference centre. More information about the history of the Evoluon: www.evoluon.org.
History on film
