Building Communities – Leerstand kooperativ nutzen
On Wednesday, 2nd April 2025, Kreative Räume Wien hosted the symposium “Building Communities: Using Vacancy Cooperatively” at the Semmelweisklinik Art and Cultural Center in Vienna’s 18th district. A field trip on 3rd April 2025 completed the two-day programme.
Best-practice examples from Vienna, Berlin, Hamburg and Zurich illustrated how community-organised spaces are created, how pioneering uses can be structurally embedded in urban development, and which strategies have proven successful in securing affordable spaces for creative and community-oriented purposes.
The symposium featured insightful keynotes, a field trip, and a panel discussion.
WHEN: Wed, 2 April 2025 | 1:00–9:00 pm (German*)
Thur, 3 April 2025 (Field Trip) | 1:00–5:00 pm (German/English)
WHERE: Semmelweisklinik: Center for Arts and Culture, Hockegasse 37, 1180 Vienna
*The event was mainly held in German, but presentations were made available with English subtitles after the event. No registration was required.
>>> Click here to download the program booklet as a PDF.
Programe Overview
#Listen: Keynotes (DE)
Insights from projects in Vienna, Berlin, Hamburg and Zurich on organisational structures and the integration of pioneering uses in urban development processes.
WHEN: Wed, 2 April 2025 | 1:00–5:00 pm
WHERE: Hockegasse 37, 1180 Vienna | Semmelweisklinik Waschküche
#Talk: Panel Discussion (DE)
A review of the day followed by a discussion with experts and policymakers.
WHEN: Wed, 2 April 2025 | 7:00–9:00 pm
WHERE: Hockegasse 37, 1180 Vienna | Semmelweisklinik Waschküche
#Discover: Exhibition (DE)
Information and insights into current projects, initiatives, and funding opportunities.
WHEN: Wed, 2 April 2025 | 12:00–7:00 pm
WHERE: Hockegasse 37, 1180 Vienna | Semmelweisklinik Bewegungsraum
#Walk: Field Trip (DE/EN)
A visit to current temporary use projects with Kreative Räume Wien.
Listen now: Talks and Panel Discussion
The keynote presentations and the panel discussion are now available to listen to on our website here(in German). The English subtitles are still on progress. We kindly ask for a little more patience.
Impressions
Photo recap – Talks, exhibition, panel discussion
Photo recap – Field trip
Photos: Johanna Lea Lassnig, Maria Sommer, Katharina Egg, Ariadne Neureuter; Copyrights: Individual photographers are credited in the image descriptions upon download / Kreative Räume Wien
About Kreative Räume Wien
Since 2016, Kreative Räume Wien has been offering free advice, networking opportunities, and support on the topic of vacancy activation and interim use on behalf of the City of Vienna. As a service and advisory center, the team supports both owners of unused spaces, buildings, and land as well as those seeking space in the fields of art, culture, the creative industries, education, and community work. Another key focus is on networking, public relations, and raising awareness around the topics of vacancy activation and prevention, interim use, and cooperative usage concepts.
Symposium 2023
The previous symposium took place in 2023 under the motto Circular Potentials – Added Value through Vacancy Activation. You can find more information and impressions from the event here.