Transformation in retail – Cultural reuse
Panel Discussion
The closure of the Karstadt, Kaufhof and Hertie department stores has left large vacant properties in a number of German cities. Downtown areas, long dominated by retail, now lie idle.
What unconventional cultural uses might offer fresh solutions for these spaces? Stefan Rettich draws lessons from his book The Obsolete City – Paths to Circularity. Successful projects in Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg and Nuremberg will be presented. HG Merz, Director of the Architecture Section, will deliver the welcome speech. Jörn Walter, member of the Architecture Section, will moderate the discussion.