Mandy Brouwers
Interior architecture - bachelor - Zwolle - 2026
Where light and reflection become an experience.
My authorship revolves around light, reflection, and wonderment. I see wonderment as a mental state in which you are briefly pulled away from daily routine. It is a moment when the world around you slows down, allowing you to look at what is already there with a fresh perspective. Precisely because you temporarily distance yourself from the familiar, you become more aware of the space, the atmosphere, and your own feelings. To me, these are valuable moments of peace and recovery, in which you can recharge.
In daily life, I notice just how important these moments are. Society demands more and more from us, and young adults in particular experience a constant pressure to perform and be visible. The feeling of always having to be 'on' means that genuine moments of rest are becoming scarce. This is exactly why I believe that creating places where you can slow down is essential. They can offer an environment where you can come home to yourself and regain new energy.
Within this theme, I experience water—and swimming in particular—as an essential element. Swimming calms my body and gives me energy at the same time. It is a moment when I detach from the hustle and bustle and connect more deeply with myself. This experience aligns perfectly with the feeling of wonderment: a subtle shift in attention, allowing you to experience space and atmosphere more intensely.
An experience that strongly shaped my vision was my visit in November 2022 to a light installation by James Turrell in a church in Berlin. The church was small and located on a busy street next to a cemetery. That context alone felt special; a place in the heart of the city, yet completely detached from the dynamics around it. The moment I stepped into the space, I immediately noticed it did something to me. I felt a sense of calm, but also a kind of excitement and curiosity. The interplay between artificial light and daylight transformed the space in a subtle yet powerful way. It changed not only how the space looked, but also how I felt within it. That experience showed me how light can bring a space to life and create an experience that is both calming and stimulating.
This fascination with light and experience forms the foundation of my wellness design, located in the annex of the IJsselcentrale in Zwolle. This industrial building has a powerful character that I want to preserve with respect. The entrance is situated on the side of the River IJssel, forcing visitors to move around the building before entering. This creates a conscious moment of transition from outside to inside, from bustle to tranquility.
Inside the design, daylight plays a central role. The placement of walls and pools is entirely based on how light enters the building throughout the day. Sometimes elements move along with the light, and sometimes they stand perpendicular to it, creating varying light effects. This also plays a role in the height variations; areas that receive an abundance of light are given more space, while other parts remain more intimate. This creates a layout in which light and reflection are continuously changing.
Through the interplay of light, water, and space, an environment arises that invites deceleration, awareness, and wonderment.
This page was last updated on June 10, 2026
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