About the trainstation and the construction factory
Construction and Culture Festival in Weisswasser, DE

With the construction festival various possibilities were demonstrated for how transformation of the train station and its surroundings can be achieved in a short period of time. With the Mitropa 2.0 canteen open daily, a part of the vacant station building was returned to use, and an interim supply structure was established. The qualities of the space it already possesses became apparent.

A temporary “factory” in the middle of Weisswasser, located in front of the train station was mentioned to activate the space. The presence of the project team working and producing street furniture, public activities, such as workshops for children, communal lunches, and the closing celebration, brought the place to life and created many opportunities for encounters between the project team, the local communities, politicians and administrators, and visitors from the region and surrounding cities.

Together we produced 22 pieces of street furniture in the “factory” – the next step was to give them an individual coat of paint! Since each piece of furniture was built for a social or cultural institution, initiative, or association, we wanted to find out, through discussions and workshops, what suited them and what they wanted to communicate to the outside world.

Low tech as a format for dialogue – regardless of language, specialist knowledge, and specific skills, the shared building experience offers opportunities for exchange, participation, and identification with the project.

To celebrate
To conclude the construction festival, a spontaneously organised celebration took place on Saturday afternoon, featuring a wide range of participants from Weißwasser’s cultural landscape.

In keeping with the city’s ice hockey tradition, the Lausitzer Füchse team held an autograph session, the junior cheerleaders “Foxettes” performed, and children were able to shoot the puck on a temporary hockey rink on the square. The Weißwasser fire department set up an equipment truck and used a smoke house to demonstrate how fire and smoke spread in a building. Rarities from the depot and “Schnitter beer” were available for purchase at the glass museum stand. Under the colorfully lit roof of the “factory”, the group “Dance Attack” performed a dance routine, and the Weißwasser country band “Vergissmeinnicht” and the Dresden band “Riley und Voltz” played live music. Food and drinks were available in front of and inside the station building until late in the evening.

Swarm out
After the street furniture was used during the celebration, the following days were spent transporting it to its destination in Weißwasser and handing it over to the municipality. In beautiful autumn weather, seating was set up at the skate park and in front of the church, and was immediately used by children and passersby.

Constructlab //
Nelli Fritzler
Anna Holzinger
Benjamin Deboosere
Grit Koalick © Credits for hand drawings
Sophie Netzer
Vanessa Wulff
Sebi Metzing
Alex Lambert
Adeline Vieira
Luise Keffel
Ana Salom ist
Felix Zahner
Patrick Hubmann
Andries de Lange
Jan Stricker
Yann Colonna
Alexander Römer
Julia Klink

Institut für Resilienz im ländlichen Raum //
Cordelia Polinna
Simon Breth

Tine Jurtz © Credits photos