Three ominous Netherlands panopticon prisons are turning into arts venues.
The 1800s design of the Koepelgevangenis (“domed prison”) aimed to instill psychological terror in its inmates through its form: a giant circle with a central guard tower that made prisoners feel constantly watched.
A drive to cut the country’s prison population saw the panopticons close; one is now a cultural hub with cells turned into podcast studios and art school ateliers, while the others are being repurposed to host events and exhibitions, as well as hotel guests.
“As a prison, it used to be a space where you didn’t want to be and couldn’t leave,” one developer told The Guardian. “We’re going to turn that around. You won’t want to leave.”