Piet Hein Eek (1967) graduated in 1990 from the Design Academy in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, with his now classic Cupboard in Scrapwood. In 1992, together with Nob Ruijgrok, he founded Eek & Ruijgrok B.V. and opened a factory in Geldrop, while using his own name for the brand. For Eek it is important to have influence on the whole process - from drawing until final product - and over the years this proved to be an exceptional way of producing that became recognized internationally as it was and still is rare that furniture is designed and produced under the same roof. Each design of Eek is designed with the material, the fabrication technique and the craft as main focus and these three components can be found in each and every design.
In 2010 Eek moved his business to Eindhoven, in a former Philips factory of 11.000 m2. Since then he expanded his interests and company to other disciplines. The building houses a hotel, multiple restaurants, a showroom, a shop that sells Eek’s designs as well as other products, an art gallery and an event hall where concerts and comedy nights are held, open to the public. With all this, Eek created his own world and an important cultural hub in the city of Eindhoven, at times where such initiatives are scarce or have difficulty with keeping their heads above water.
In January 2015, Eek founded a new company with former staff member and architect Iggie Dekkers: Eek & Dekkers B.V. They work mostly on renovation and reallocation projects. Taking this direction fits perfectly in the philosophy of Eek: creating something with the material that is given and only making changes in the old architecture that are really necessary. In this way they keep the identity of the building intact and at the same time answer to the wishes of the user. In the meantime, Eek produces between 15 and 30 new designs each year as well as running about 10 interior design projects.
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