The die is cast. In the spring of 2026, Van Gogh Homeland will present: the Green Cathedral. In the months of May and June 2026, a green copy of the Tilburgse Heuvelse Kerk will pop up in the Tilburgse Spoorzone. This will be the stage for a stimulating program for a wide audience, where attention will be drawn with positivity and imagination to dilemmas and solutions for the major sustainability challenges in Brabant, the homeland of Vincent van Gogh.
The Green Cathedral is an idea of the world-famous Brabant architect Winy Maas, who is also the curator of the entire program. Studio Kluif is responsible for the design and communication of Van Gogh Homeland.
The Green Cathedral
This large eye-catcher, a temporary construction with multiple floors, was designed by Winy Maas as a green oasis full of trees, shrubs and plants. Here, visitors can experience various sustainability themes in an exciting way. With a leading role for the greening of our cities. A ‘green sky walk’ takes you past pop-up exhibitions and art installations: an interactive journey of discovery along dilemmas and unexpected solutions. The high towers of the building offer literal and figurative views and new perspectives. Winy Maas: “The Green Cathedral is an expression of the dream to combine the upcoming gigantic densification of Brabant, caused by its location, its potential, its ambition, with a radical greening.”
Livable city
Tilburg is working hard to continue to be a healthy and livable city in the future, including by focusing on more greenery and more water in the city. That is why the province of Noord-Brabant, the municipality of Tilburg, Midpoint Brabant and partners such as Efteling and Libéma are joining forces for the very first edition of Van Gogh Homeland in the spring of 2026. Bas Maes, deputy for energy and culture in the province of Noord-Brabant: “This Green Cathedral draws attention to themes such as climate, greening, energy and urbanization in a beautiful and special way. As a province, we would like to see an innovative and accessible range of leisure activities for a broad and diverse audience. This fits in seamlessly with that, as well as with our goal of using art and culture for social issues. The Green Cathedral will raise awareness of these themes, but above all provide a lot of inspiration and fun for visitors!”
Tilburg is pleased with this special initiative: “It is wonderful that we will receive this first edition of Van Gogh Homeland in Tilburg, one of the places where Van Gogh learned to draw as a young student. Van Gogh also shared his concerns about a rapidly changing world and the loss of nature in his letters. The concept of the Green Cathedral focuses on this once again. I am very curious to see how art, culture and the power of imagination will inspire us.” – Bas van der Pol, alderman for Urban Development, Economy and Environmental Quality Tilburg.
Unique experiment
After this pop-up experience, the vegetation of the cathedral will enter the city like a green procession and spread across Tilburg’s gardens, flower beds and parks. In this way, Van Gogh Homeland makes a valuable contribution to greening the city and to the discussion about the future of Brabant. Joost Melis, general director of the Van Gogh Homeland foundation: “The Green Cathedral is a metaphor for belief in a green and liveable city. An inclusive place where everyone is welcome. This living lab is a unique experiment to investigate how the leisure domain can contribute to awareness of and support for regional transitions among a broad audience.”
Van Gogh Homeland
Vincent van Gogh, the most famous Brabander in the world, also tried to understand the changes in his Brabant 150 years ago. He struggled with the major changes in his homeland: the emerging industry, poverty, the pressure on nature. With his paintings, drawings and letters he shares his love for nature and fellow human beings with us. A memory of his Brabant. Van Gogh Homeland looks at the state of Brabant through the eyes of Van Gogh. The Brabant of then, now and of the future.“The Green Cathedral is the very first in a series of experiences that will be organised in Brabant over the years. During each edition we show in an accessible way how our living environment can become more sustainable and greener in the future.” – Lian Duif, program director of the Van Gogh Homeland foundationThe Green Cathedral is an initiative of the Van Gogh Homeland foundation and part of the Regional Deal of Central Brabant with the government, also included in the Administrative Agreement and in the Perspective Note of the province of North Brabant. For more information and the latest developments, see www.vangoghhomeland.nl.