Werkstatt Gröninger Hof

Werkstatt Gröninger Hof was a temporary cultural and neighborhood space located in a former car workshop at the ground floor of a parking structure in Hamburg’s Altstadt. Following the cooperative’s successful acquisition of the building for transformation, the vacant workshop was activated as an experimental space for collective urban practice.
At a time when the cooperative had not yet established a full membership structure or operational resources, the LU’UM collective was invited to initiate and curate the early phase of the project. Together with the cooperative, a guiding concept was developed that aligned with values such as solidarity, diversity, and common-good-oriented urban development. During the first two years of the space’s existence, I was part of the team who led the curation, organisation, and implementation of the programme.
The workshop became a place for experimentation and exchange: neighborhood models were built, posters and exhibitions were produced, and the space hosted film screenings, concerts, talks, shared meals, and community gatherings. It also served as a production site for other urban initiatives, including the construction of street furniture for Hamburg’s Rathausquartier. Weekly meetings provided an open structure through which new ideas and external requests could be discussed and realised collaboratively.
Over time, the Werkstatt evolved into a rare meeting point within the inner city — a place where residents, practitioners, and institutions could come together in an informal and accessible environment. Even after the transformation of the parking structure began and the original space had to close, the cooperative continues to carry forward the spirit of the Werkstatt, with plans for a new space that will extend its legacy.