AB4

AB4: Studio spaces for artists and designers, located close to a bustling marketplace

AB4 is located in the bustling, multi-ethnic neighborhood Schilderswijk, a stone’s throw away from The Netherlands' largest outdoor market and right around the corner from several bakeries and other food places

© Joost Koskamp

AB4 is located in the bustling, multi-ethnic neighborhood Schilderswijk, a stone’s throw away from The Netherlands’ largest outdoor market and right around the corner from several bakeries and other food places. AB4 is essentially a studio space designated for artists and designers. The building, originally a school for toddlers, contains thirteen spaces of varying size, which are occupied by creative makers. The proprietor also works on-site, doing investigative research, meaning that he’s often present.

Contracts are flexible and start with a three month term, to accommodate the type of tenants AB4 wants to attract, namely artists and designers. Most tenants do tend to stay here for longer. Besides the studio spaces there’s also a communal cafeteria (also used for presentations) and a workshop/storage space available for rent to the tenants.

The building itself is divided in two parts, with one offering a larger studio space, a cafeteria and a workshop with appliances like a saw and a turning lathe. The other part of the building, accessed through a seperate streetside entrance, houses smaller studios that are currently home to a painter, a photographer and assorted other creative entrepreneurs.