Urban lab fosters cutting-edge ideas and applications
The Neuwied city center lab, located at Langendorfer Straße 120 in the former bakery Geisen, has been a vibrant hub for innovation and urban revitalization since its opening over a year ago. This multifunctional space, managed by City Manager Michaela Ullrich, serves as a test room for founders with creative business ideas, a safety point during festivals, and a weekly consultation spot for the city.
One of the key objectives of the Neuwied city center lab is to reduce empty storefronts in the city center. To achieve this, the lab offers pop-up stores for up to four months free of charge. City Manager Michaela Ullrich promotes new and innovative retail concepts to animate the Neuwied city center among entrepreneurs and landlords.
The lab has hosted six different pop-up stores, six art exhibitions, and numerous workshops and events. Currently, Silvia Blank's "Acrylic Pouring" artworks are on display on both floors of the lab, while Melanie Rinklage's vintage furniture store, "Hipstoricals", is temporarily located on the ground floor. The Pop-Up Store will reopen in February following an exhibition of "The Quiet Hour".
The Neuwied city center lab has proven to be a significant draw for city center visitors, retailers, and gastronomers. The lab's unique offerings, such as Melanie Rinklage's popular vintage store, have even led some entrepreneurs to consider setting up permanent shops in the city center after their time at the lab.
City Manager Michaela Ullrich encourages landlords to be open to unconventional uses of retail space, believing that this approach can help breathe new life into the city center. The lab's success can be seen in the meticulously crafted models of famous buildings from Feldkirchen, displayed on the upper floor by Walter Teufert.
For more information about the Innenstadtlabor and current events, visit www.neuwied.de/innenstadtlabor. Interested individuals can contact City Manager Michaela Ullrich at [email protected] for more information about the Pop-Up Store concept or to inquire about using the lab for workshops and events.
- The following week, the Neuwied city center lab will host a pop-up home-and-garden store as part of their ongoing efforts to animate the city center.
- In addition to the pop-up stores, the lab also offers lifestyle workshops focusing on general-news topics, such as urban gardening and local history, to engage the community.
