The Kiosk of Solidarity is an urban practice initiative that engaged in Berlin’s dynamic social landscape. From June to September 2023, 11 Berlin-based initiatives and projects that embody the spirit of solidarity utilized the Kiosk (designed and build by Constructlab) at various locations across the city for brief periods. Through a diverse array of formats, they fostered connections among neighbours, fellow activists, and the wider community, temporarily bringing their solidarity practices into the public urban sphere.

Constructlab’s first kiosk served as a conceptual exploration of potential usage scenarios, while this second kiosk decisively shifted the focus from mere form to the transformative power of activation. The realization of this second kiosk brought into sharp focus the gap between envisioning the potential of a mobile structure and its actualization through meaningful user engagement. Through their dedication and passion, the Transforming Solidarities team breathed life into this kiosk, transforming it into a hub of activity and engagement.

Transforming Solidarities, the activating party, reflected on the spatiality of solidarity practices and infrastructures in Berlin using the Kiosk of Solidarity. Solidarity needs spaces to be experienced. Examples include alternative housing models, health collectives or neighborhood centers. Social practices create open, collective and non-commercial spaces in which solidarity comes into play. They help to overcome isolation and try out new, supportive relationships. The pandemic, but also the escape from war, have once again shown the need for this.

The Kiosk of Solidarity won the jury price at Der Spiegel Social Design Award 2023 (overview of all nominees here), was on display at the Deutsche Architektur Zentrum DAZ, Berlin and will be back on the streets of Berlin in the summer of 2024.

After its debut in the “Living the City” exhibition, our first Messy Kiosk roamed Berlin, transforming into a dynamic space for interaction and expression. While its uses and messages shifted, it consistently served as a miniature social hub coloring its surroundings. In early 2023, the Messy Kiosk moved from Berlin to Basel, taking root as a central meeting point at the Civic Space of FHNW Art School Basel. Yet, demand for the Kiosk remained high in Berlin.

Enter the “Kiosk of Solidarity,” a new kiosk that was funded by the Urbane Praxis Projektfonds. Building on the experiences of its predecessor, we enhanced its mobility with a design based on a movable display frame. The frame locks the kiosk when lowered and simultaneously allows for a quick and hassle-free swap of posters and signs. When the frame is elevated it showcases illuminated signs for nighttime visibility.

The Kiosk of Solidarity is a cooperation of Transforming Solidarities and ConstructLab.

This project is in collaboration with Transforming Solidarities as part of the Berlin University Alliance and the Deutsche Architecture Zentrum DAZ .

Follow @kiosk.of.solidarity for more info.