What is the Kiezlabor?
From an old shipping container an energy self-sufficient Tiny House was born – the Kiezlabor! Our target group: EVERYONE – young, old, with a digital affinity or not! The essential thing is that you want to meet the big and small challenges of the present with courageous ideas and sustainable visions for the future. Under the motto “Without you, we’re just a container”, the Kiezlabor brings the prototypical approach of CityLAB to the Kieze of Berlin and invites you and your neighbourhood to explore and help shape the potential of digital transformation together. The Kiezlabor is an open space that serves as a workshop area, a stage, an interactive exhibition, a networking forum or simply as a place to have a cup of coffee.
The Kiezlabor is a project of CityLAB Berlin and the Technologiestiftung Berlin, with special support from the Senatskanzlei, and is being implemented as part of the digital and smart city strategy Gemeinsam Digital: Berlin. At the same time, we do not want to claim the Kiezlabor for ourselves exclusively, but would like to share it with other representatives from civil society, science and administration.
What will happen in 2024?
The Kiezlabor is continuing its 2024 tour and will once again make various Berlin neighbourhoods unsafe this year from May to October with its own program and focus topics. After a successful 2023, in which we got off to a flying start with five locations in districts such as Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Hellersdorf, 71 events and over 1,600 visitors, we are looking forward to new encounters, collaborations and exchanges with you! We will keep you up to date on the specific locations and program planning on this project page and in our newsletter.
Kiezlabor meets Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
Under the motto ‘Green and healthy – together we move the neighbourhood!’, the Kiezlabor is heading for its next location in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf in August. Over eleven days, from 5 – 16 August, the Kiezlabor will be organising exciting workshops and exchange formats on the topic of the ‘City of the Future’. In addition to discovery tours through the neighbourhood, the ‘Urban trees: talking trees, watering cans and moisture sensors’ action day will take place on 13 August.
You can find all the latest information on the programme here, on the Kiezlabor project page!
Where is the Kiezlabor right now?
Schedule
Equipment and technology
Self-sufficient shipping container
The Kiezlabor is not only energy self-sufficient thanks to solar panels on the roof and doors and a built-in rechargeable battery and can therefore be used flexibly in different locations, but also comes with a kitchen including a water tank, sink, coffee machine, kettle and crockery.
Technology
We bring a lot of technology with us. In addition to a large 55-inch touch monitor visible from the outdoors for presentations, there is also a smaller 24-inch touch monitor and two tablets that can be flexibly attached inside or outside. Of course, there are microphones and speakers for presentations, fast internet and plenty of power sockets. If required, we can also bring VR glasses or a printer.
Workshop materials
From whiteboards and flipcharts to colourful pens and sticky notes in all colours. We always have everything the workshop heart could desire in our container.
Modular urban furniture
Between thirty and forty pieces of furniture are always available in the Kiezlabor, depending on the set-up scenario. This is made possible by our modular urban furniture made from crates, which can be fitted with either seats or table tops. This makes it possible to flexibly set up casual cinema seating or a workshop situation. If it gets particularly sunny, we have parasols at the ready and if the sun lets us down, there are rain capes for everyone in an emergency. For those who prefer to sit inside, we have six seats with a table inside.
Interactive exhibition
Depending on what exciting topics are currently available in the neighbourhood (Kiez), we bring along a customised interactive exhibition. Here, residents can use artificial intelligence to edit cityscapes according to their wishes, experience the city through the eyes of a child using a periscope or give their opinion on a relevant topic at a ‘candy machine’.
What happened so far:
Kiezlabor meets Gropiusstadt
Berlin’s most agile container went into its second round in May 2024: from 23 May to 31 May, the Kiezlabor was held on Rotraut-Richter-Platz in Gropiusstadt with the motto “Rediscover Gropiusstadt”. Together with many local players and initiatives, we invited people to get to know their own neighbourhood better and take a fresh look at the familiar. From environmental sensors and a consultation hour with the district mayor to AI applications, edible plants and food sharing – our programme was as diverse as Berlin itself. You can read about what we experienced here!
Kiezlabor meets Lichtenberg
Out of the ivory tower and into the neighbourhood! Without stopping, the Kiezlabor travelled from Gropiusstadt to Lichtenberg with the motto: “Science meets neighbourhood“. Together with you, we wanted to find out what science and the neighbourhood can learn from each other and created a knowledge-intensive programme together with the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin (HTW) and the university network “Zukunft findet Stadt”. You can read about our highlights here.
What happened 2023:
Kiezlabor in a beta version
At re:publica 2023, we tested the Kiezlabor in a beta version in front of an audience for the first time! For a fortnight, we stood near the festival site and wanted to create a meeting space for visitors on their way to the event and residents of the surrounding neighbourhoods. Find out how the first test run went in this blog post!
Kiezlabor meets Tempelhofer Feld
After the first test run and the spectacular opening at our Sommerfest, Berlin’s most charming Tiny House for digital transformation took up residence in one of the most magical places in the entire city – Tempelhofer Feld! For a good two weeks, from 17 to 27 August, we set up camp in the southwest of the airfield towards Tempelhof. This time, we had a diverse programme in our luggage that focused on the challenges of climate change for urban space! Read the blog post to find out what our time in the field was like!
Kiezlabor meets Graefekiez
The Kiezlabor continued touring through Berlin! The next location was in Graefekiez in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg on the topic of “space in the city“. As part of the Berlin Volunteer Days, we invited people to exchange ideas about new mobility concepts and fair use of pavements for young and old. A special highlight was an artistically talented robot that painted with chalk! You can find our highlights from Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg here!
Kiezlabor meets Marzahn-Hellersdorf
Our grand finale and last location for 2023 was in Marzahn-Hellersdorf! From 16.10. to 21.10. we were on Alice-Salomon-Platz and had put together a varied programme with the focus on “Shaping the city together“! We wanted to redesign Alice-Salomon-Platz in a climate-friendly way together with visitors and develop new ideas and visions for the square with the help of artificial intelligence in 3D and our modular furniture system. We also wanted to explore the concept of a transfer campus together with the Alice-Salomon-Hochschule Berlin! You can read about what we experienced here!
How can I participate?
Your organization, your company, your initiative and you are interested in working with us at one of the planned locations? You need an event space, a workshop opportunity or a meeting room during the time we are with you? You have an idea for a collaborative event in the Kiezlabor, where we work out solutions for Berlin together with residents?
At this site, we will publish the topics for each location in a timely manner. Feel free to contact us with suitable proposals for events, workshops, exhibitions, participation, etc. for a specific location. We will be looking forward to hearing from you!
Contact
Anne Kruse (Transformation Manager / Urban Development & Participation CityLAB Berlin)
Press
Anna Hantelmann (Senior Communications Manager Technologiestiftung Berlin)
Tel.: +49 151 18457 242
Pia Gralki (Team Lead Communications CityLAB Berlin)
Tel.: +49 175 6995 931
