Temporary cultural spaces help artists and cities, but need long-term plans

Temporary cultural uses can make cities more attractive while giving artists and cultural workers space to create, BR reports. But they cannot replace a citywide strategy for providing cultural venues.

For three years, around 250 rehearsal rooms, studios and offices at Fat Cat, an interim-use project in Munich’s former Gasteig cultural centre, housed artists, musicians, theatre workers and filmmakers. They must now leave as renovation work on the Gasteig is due to begin.

Vacant buildings can benefit cities when put to use, said Benedikt Boucsein, a professor of urban design at the Technical University of Munich. Such projects can help prevent neglected-feeling areas where people simply pass through, and can shape the character of a neighbourhood or a city. They also give people a chance to experience cultural diversity, he said.

Maria Trunk, who runs Raumkompass, a project attached to Nuremberg’s Office for Culture and Leisure, said temporary spaces can benefit both cities and cultural workers. Raumkompass looks for vacant properties and seeks to connect them with artists and musicians. Nuremberg has around 400,000 square metres of vacant office space, while Munich has almost two million.

However, not every building is suitable. Requirements vary depending on whether a space will be used for rehearsals, studios, events or a club, said Stephanie Utz. Fire safety, noise protection and escape routes are among the factors that need to be considered.

Utz runs Kunstlabor 2, which has more than 70 studios in a former health centre in Munich. The project was due to end in autumn 2026, but its lease has been extended to 2033. Longer-term arrangements help operators plan and cover the often high initial costs of making a building usable, she said.

Artists also need certainty, Utz said. When a temporary project ends, having to search for a new space can interrupt their work and, for some, cause a career setback. While these projects can partly ease the shortage of affordable spaces, Utz said cities should not rely on them to fill gaps in cultural planning.

Trunk said cities increasingly recognise the value of temporary uses and are open to such projects. In Nuremberg, venues including Musikzentrale, Z-Bau and Heizhaus have shown that temporary projects can become permanent cultural institutions, she said.