Netherlands | elinesmits

Hello!
Here yet another post on my blog:)
For school we’ve got to search five new Coolhunts. This time it’ll be about the Experience: Economy.

Coolhunt 1. Een Maal

What is it?
Eenmaal is a Dutch popup restaurant in Amsterdam. It’s a collaboration between designer Marina van Goor and Agency Van de Jong. Eenmaal is a restaurant which is specifically designed to be eating alone. The translation of Eenmaal in English is ‘one time’ or ‘one meal’. The pop up restaurant opened twice this month.

“Eenmaal is just like any other excellent restaurant, but totally unique in one thing: it only has tables for individual persons. Where you might usually go out to eat with company, at Eenmaal you are your own company. It is the perfect place to dine in pleasant solitude; an exciting experiment for those who never go out for dinner alone and an attractive place to eat for those who already enjoy doing so,” says creator Marina van Goor.

Why it is cool? 1044927_476928525725849_707300189_n
They are trying to eliminate the social taboo for alone eating.
A visitor summarized the concept behind Eenmaal nicely: this restaurant is making from an uncomfortable situation something comfortable. Eating Alone out can be in our by internet connected world an inspiring experience – just because you can be disconnected

If I have to divide Eenmaal to a phase I will chose for Phase.3 Authenticity. This is real, people who want to eat alone in a restaurant don’t have to hide themselves anymore.

Why has it future growth potential?
The opening of Eenmaal received a lot of national and international media attention and the restaurant was completely sold out.

“The launch of Eenmaal produced more than we could’ve hoped, a global converation about eating out alone. Apparently eating out alone is from the Netherlands till far in Brazil, China and India an innovative idea, because printed media, radio- and television producers from all around the world took notice about Eenmaal. ”, says Marina van Goor, social designer and initiator from Eenmaal.

References:
http://ontwerpstudiomarinavangoor.blogspot.nl/
https://www.facebook.com/popupeenmaal/info
http://blog.vandejong.nl/post/58047774453/eenpersoonsrestaurant-eenmaal-krijgt-vervolg
http://www.culy.nl/inspiratie/eten-in-je-uppie-bij-pop-up-restaurant-eenmaal-in-amsterdam/
http://www.elle.nl/eten/culinieuws/De-food-events-van-november/Herfsteditie-Eenpersoonsrestaurant-Eenmaal-Amsterdam

Hello everyone!

I had to go to an experience for school. I chose GLOW Eindhoven because I have tried to go for two years and it never actually came out. A lot of people around me told me every year how nice it was so I got really curious.

So on Friday evening, I finally went to Eindhoven GLOW!

The experience
In this concept they put the center of Eindhoven in the sign of light-art for 8 days. The city center is transformed into a huge (temporary) museum.
Artists and designers from the Netherlands and abroad are showing their light art- and design applications, which have been realized by the use of new media technologies like computers, sensors, animation, but also more known projection techniques.

The entire route could be found over the internet or by using an information booklet. The route was also visible thanks to the street lamps which were colored red and there where traffic regulators who helped the great amount of people to cross the road.
There was a light show to see at the Philips Stadium, and a guard escorted me to the elevator because I was walking with a crutch. I thought the staff was very friendly!

Eindhoven is known as the City of Light, which originates in the launch of the Philips bulb factories in this city. Later, this resulted in many modern applications.

This year the theme of the festival is ‘Urban Playground’, in other words, a large playground for light-artists. Various light-artists showed in a unique way that by playing with light the reality can be experienced in a totally different way.

Psychosocial context
As you can read, I heard about GLOW regularly and had, therefore, already kind of a prior knowledge about it. I went with my mother and sister and thought it was important to have a nice evening and to discover what sorts of of different lighting techniques the artists used.

My expectations were pretty high. I heard about the Philips stadium already, that they putted cd’s on the seats which would gave a very nice effect. I was thereby focused to see these effects, they were a little bit disappointing but otherwise the light show was spectacular!
There were also involved several primary schools from Eindhoven.
As a visitor of the festival for example you could paint a specific surface of LEDS with water at the piece ‘Water light Graffiti’. When the LED lights get in touch with water, they will light out of nowhere.

With some work I had the idea that I could look at it for hours.

Experience
For me this was definitely a memorable experience. I learned a lot about light art and thought it was a well organized festival with very impressive work. It was very interesting to see how much you can do with light!
I will not forget this and I hope that I can go again the next few years!!

E.E Phase
Glow can be divided in Phase 4. Virtuality and involvement.
They use a lot of new technologies.

If you want more information about GLOW, go to these links:
http://www.gloweindhoven.nl/website/glow/glow.php?action=home