Night render of Theater Lampegiet glowing on the theatre square © MVRDV
Curated by ArchiRev Editorial | Feature Story | Published May 20th, 2026 | Source: MVRDV
Typologies: Theatre, Cultural, Bar-Restaurant, Auditorium
Themes: Architecture, Leisure, Public, Culture
Status: In Progress
Location: Veenendaal, Netherlands
Year: 2025–
Surface: 6,000 m²
Budget: €47,800,000
Client: Municipality of Veenendaal
Theater Lampegiet Veenendaal by MVRDV is one of the most culturally inspired theatres to be built in the Netherlands today. Designed to replace the old 1988 theater in the city with its three theaters, a café, a movie theater, and backstage area in an innovative yet compact design, the Theater Lampegiet Veenendaal is encased in a unique ceramic facade, which has been derived directly from the culture of Veenendaal.
However, the name of the building also tells its own tale. The name of the current theater originates from the Lampegietersavond, a festival that occurs annually in September, during which children march through the streets of Veenendaal holding lanterns. It was the idea of light being carried by the children through the streets of Veenendaal that served as the inspiration for the design of MVRDV’s theater. In this sense, the new theater has been designed as an urban lantern, whereby the illumination of the lobby creates a glow through the perforated façade onto the theater square.
Six Volumes, One Building
Each auditorium and other programmatic spaces are designed as a separate volume. There are six volumes in total: three auditoriums, one foyer, one café, and backstage spaces. This design solution helps to divide the entire building mass into smaller volumes, which better correspond to the size of other surrounding buildings, thus preventing the creation of the monumental impression that large cultural buildings often create in their environment.
Daytime render of the full Theatre Lampegiet exterior showing stacked volumes © MVRDV
The large auditorium can seat 700 and is the biggest of the three halls available. The second auditorium holds 200 spectators and is used for smaller productions. The third auditorium, which has 100 seats, is intended to be used by Filmhuis Veenendaal as well as other organizations – a cinema hall located on the ground floor that looks out onto both the theater square and the Old Church of Veenendaal.
Visitors to the theater will find themselves in the central foyer from the main entrance of the theater square. There is a café that opens out onto a terrace on the ground floor. The secondary foyer on the ground floor leads into the multifunctional auditorium. This is a building that directs its visitors effortlessly to the show.
Render of the main entrance and three-floor foyer interior © MVRDV
Close-up render of the ceramic screen facade detail showing the swooping textile-like forms © MVRDV
A Façade Drawn from Textile and Tradition
The exterior of the building is the most expressive part of the building. The façade is constructed using bricks and huge sheets of glass covered by curving ceramic screens, which have an appearance similar to fabric draped on the volumes of the building. There are two levels of meaning for the use of such an architectural element: it refers both to theater curtains and to the town’s historical identity as an industrial producer of textiles.
According to Jacob van Rijs, one of the founding partners of MVRDV, the purpose of this design is two-fold: “Through the design of the Lampegiet Theatre, we are paying homage to Veenendaal’s rich past, from its tradition of celebrating Lampegietersavond to its history of industrial textiles.” These stories come alive through the design of the building as an urban lantern illuminating the theatre square and the city beyond.”
The sliding doors on the glass facades of the theatre can slide back fully, thus connecting the theatre square, the terrace of the café, and the interior of the building into one whole space.
A Cultural Anchor for a Broader District
The upcoming Lampegiet Theater is expected to be the first step in a wider redevelopment plan for the Duivenweide neighborhood. A green city park complete with an events space, parking facilities, and housing will be constructed in the neighborhood. The theater will connect this new park to one of the important streets in Veenendaal.
Site diagram showing the theatre’s relationship to the new park and surrounding district © MVRDV
The sustainability has been created in partnership with Buro Happold. The building will incorporate solar PV cells as well as a heat pump. There are green planters incorporated into the design, and all trees that have been marked as valuable by the city council will be protected. There are nesting boxes for birds and bats incorporated into the building, which adds to the biodiversity in the area. There are flexible spaces within the building which will cater to the theatre’s future requirements.
Render showing green planters and landscape integration around the theatre © MVRDV
Architect: MVRDV
Founding Partner in Charge: Jacob van Rijs
Partner: Fokke Moerel
Design Team: Mick van Gemert, Nicolás Garín Odriozola, Samantha Gazzolo, Chantal Besteman, Ginevra Balbo
Visualisaties: Luana La Martina, Stefano Fiaschi
Business Development: Juliet den Oudendammer, Mark van den Ouden
Copyright: MVRDV — Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries
Collaborators: Structural Engineer: Buro Happold MEP: Buro Happold