Roombeek is the neighbourhood rebuilt after the 2000 fireworks disaster — 400 homes destroyed in an explosion that remains one of the most devastating industrial accidents in the Netherlands. The reconstruction was treated as an opportunity for architectural experimentation, and the new Roombeek has a density of interesting modern buildings unusual for a Dutch provincial city.
The De Museumfabriek (formerly the Twentse Welle), which covers local history and the history of the disaster itself, sits in Roombeek. A memorial park marks the site of the explosion. Walking the district gives a sense of how contemporary Dutch architecture handles a neighbourhood-scale commission. The contrast with the Victorian brick of the city centre is sharp.