Creative interim use: Frei_Fläche will continue in 2024

Creative industries instead of vacancies: The successful model of creative interim use will continue to revitalise Hamburg in the coming year.

19. December 2024

Hamburg Creative Society

Photo Credits: Jan-Marius Komorek, Kim Zoe Spix

The "Frei_Fläche: Raum für kreative Zwischennutzung" programme is being extended once again: Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft is continuing the successful funding programme on behalf of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg in 2024. This means that Frei_Fläche will continue to provide valuable impetus for a vibrant and sustainable city centre in the coming year. At Jupiter, the programme's largest Frei_Fläche space, creative interim use will be celebrated on 9 December with the second Jupiter Day.

"Creative interim uses are a benefit for the whole city. Creative people from all sectors have the chance to realise concepts in affordable and central spaces. At the same time, vacancies that are harmful to neighbourhoods can be reduced. Creative temporary use is also so important because it demonstrates the necessary long-term transformation of cities - and supports this as a field of experimentation."

Egbert Rühl, Managing Director of Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft

Over 25,000 square metres of vacant space already prevented in Hamburg

Since mid-2021, Frei_Fläche has already enabled 109 interim uses and converted around 25,100 square metres of vacant space into studios and workshops, galleries and exhibition spaces, shops, workspaces and event rooms.

Over 25,000 square metres of vacant space already prevented in Hamburg

Frei_Fläche - space for creative interim use

The funding programme is based on the fund for creative interim use and was launched by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg in June 2021 to overcome the coronavirus crisis. Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft has been tasked with implementing the programme and is temporarily renting vacant retail space to Hamburg's creative professionals at a low price of €1.50 per square metre. Frei_Fläche thus reduces vacancies that are harmful to the retail sector, gives creative professionals space for their concepts and strengthens the transformation towards a diverse and vibrant city centre. The landlords of the spaces are reimbursed all ancillary costs for the duration of the programme - no rent is paid.

Frei_Fläche was developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Media, the Ministry of Finance, Landesbetrieb Immobilienmanagement und Grundvermögen (LIG) and Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft. Remaining funds from the current funding period of the programme amounting to 1.6 million euros are available for this in 2024.

Frei_Fläche wurde in Kooperation der Behörde für Kultur und Medien, der Finanzbehörde, dem Landesbetrieb Immobilienmanagement und Grundvermögen (LIG) und der Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft entwickelt. Für die Fortführung hat die Bürgerschaft mit dem Doppelhaushalt 2025/2026 weitere 510.000 Euro bereitgestellt.

About Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft

Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft is the city's organisation for the promotion of Hamburg's creative industries. As a direct contact and service centre, it is open to all creative players and companies in the Hanseatic city. More knowledge, space, funding and innovation for Hamburg's creatives - that is the mission to which the Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft has dedicated itself since 2010.

Download material

Note: The use of the image material is only permitted if the full copyright and Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft are cited. The copyright information can be found in the file names.

Press material Continuation of Frei_Fläche, jpeg, 943 kb