To find a moment of Zen during a stressful workday can be difficult. Justine Kontou wants to change this with Contemplation Spaces. During the Dutch Design Week, the curator will make a route where you can get relaxed at the Student Hotel. But she cannot do this on her own. She is still looking for volunteers and started a crowdfunding to finance this.
Together with an architect, a psychologist and designers, Kontou sets up the hotel so that after completing a route, you are relaxed and focused again. By using smell, light, sound, and touch, all senses are stimulated and sharpened. After the Dutch Design Week, she wants to develop this and provide permanent locations for Contemplation Spaces in, among other hotels and business premises.
“The goal is to be open from 10am to 10pm every day during the Dutch Design Week, but there are still many volunteers needed.”Justine Kontou, Curator Contemplation Spaces
Every visitor of the DDW is welcome to take a look. “We want to get feedback from as many visitors as we can, to hear their experience and what we could improve. To keep it a calm experience, visitors are allowed in, in groups of four to six under the guidance of a volunteer. The goal is to be open from 10 am to 10 pm every day during the Dutch Design Week, but there are still many volunteers needed.”
The crowdfunding for the project runs until Wednesday next week. As a thank you for supporting the project, there are several rewards. For example, you can get a priority at the entrance, there is a drink arrangement, a meditation workshop and for companies a special tour along the participating designers, with a drink or a dinner in one of their studios.
Kontou herself believes in the project: “I’ve been working on this project for a year and a half now, and many designers and artists have become involved. A number of companies, care institutions, and commercial parties have already indicated that they find it an interesting concept. This project is sure to succeed, we only have to see how we get this off the ground the fastest.”
Illustration: Lex Hildenbrant