Location
A new place to discover materials
In 2027 MaterialDistrict takes place at the Midden Nederland Hallen in Barneveld. The glass building that was previously part of the Floriade in Almere has been given a new function here. A fitting setting for conversations about material use and reuse.
The Floriade greenhouse, rebuilt.
One of the most distinctive parts of the venue is the greenhouse that previously stood at the Floriade in Almere and has been rebuilt in Barneveld. Instead of writing off a temporary structure, it was given a new function as an event venue. For MaterialDistrict that is not a decorative sustainability story, but a tangible example of Matter of How.
Where city and countryside meet
The built environment is becoming ever more dependent on new raw-material chains. Think of fibre crops, biobased materials and agricultural residual streams. Central Netherlands is an interesting place to connect that world with design, production and construction.
The greenhouse offers plenty of daylight and a green, natural atmosphere. That fits an event where material is physically central: samples, textures, surfaces and prototypes should not disappear in a generic exhibition hall, but truly be experienced.
The complex comprises 15,000 m² of floor area, divided across three worlds and fifteen flexibly usable sub-spaces. It is energy-neutral, with 5,000 solar panels, aquifer thermal energy storage and batteries.
The Green House
The Floriade landmark now stands in Barneveld.
The greenhouse was dismantled in Almere and rebuilt here. The mezzanine floors were removed, so you now stand in the tallest greenhouse in the Netherlands: fourteen metres at the highest point.
An exhibition about reuse, in a building that is itself reused.
We ask our participants to show how you build with less and better material. It counts for a great deal when the hall in which that happens tells the same story.
- The Green House stood at Floriade Expo 2022 in Almere, was dismantled there and rebuilt in Barneveld — together with local entrepreneurs.
- The mezzanine floors were removed. At fourteen metres, this is the tallest greenhouse in the Netherlands.
- A thousand hand-woven reed lampshades hang from the deck; old storage containers became bar, cloakroom and terrace.
- On the roof sit 5,000 solar panels, with batteries for storage and aquifer thermal energy storage for climate control.
- The climate screens are made from old and new materials, across more than 4,000 m².
- All spaces are plug & play, so no lorries with chairs and fit-out keep driving in and out.
- The complex is energy-neutral and has run CO₂-neutral since opening in 2016.
Central in the country, with the car at the door.
By car
The complex sits at the exit of the A30 and close to the A1. From Zeeland, Groningen, Limburg and Noord-Holland you get here without a detour. On site there is paid parking, with up to 1,650 parking spaces, including spaces with charging points.
By public transport
The bus stops within walking distance of the venue. Barneveld station is about two kilometres away.
Everything for your visit at a glance.
| Date | Wednesday 9, Thursday 10 and Friday 11 June 2027 |
| Address | Midden Nederland Hallen, Thorbeckelaan 123D, 3771 ED Barneveld |
| Opening hours | Wednesday and Thursday 10.00–18.00, Friday 10.00–17.00 |
| Car and parking | At the A30 exit and close to the A1. Paid parking on site, up to 1,650 spaces, including spaces with charging points. The parking rate has yet to be set. |
| Public transport | Bus stop about 400 metres away, Barneveld station about 2 kilometres away. |
| Accessibility | Accessible to visitors with a disability |
| Catering | Catering on site |
| Accommodation | Not at the venue itself. Options include De Werelt in Lunteren and hotels in Garderen, both about a fifteen-minute drive. |