My father is no longer alive. He died in 2001. When Philips was still Philips. And Strijp‑S just about still the old Strijp‑S. When I give tours I sometimes talk about him. I often say I wonder how he would experience this area if he suddenly returned.

I think he wouldn’t even see much difference from a distance. The buildings are largely still there and the clock on the Klokgebouw is still ticking. Coming up closer he would be amazed by the transition. About the restaurants and cafes, the other hustle and bustle and probably also about the idle pipes above his head. What purpose could they possibly serve?

I would put my arm around him (it would be remarkable he was back, after all) and we would sit on a bench in the sun. On the Torenallee. I would listen to his stories about his working life at Philips. How things went then. And at the same time I would tell him about our new way of working. And that I now work at Strijp‑S too. But not for the bulb factory. That very young people and old people do a lot of very different awesome things. That there is no more clocking in and out. That you no longer have to bring your own sandwiches. That there isn’t an official break time. That you can do sports here and visit the cinema. And that you can just, if you wish, take a nap, just because you can.

I can just hear him say: ‘What a load of nonsense, you can take a nap in your own time.’ And that’s exactly it. My own time. 2016 at Strijp‑S and I’m enjoying every minute of it.