Re-Imagining Unused Spaces
Greta Cazzanelli Clara Dolder Julia Caroline Silvia Ute Tebbe Greta Wagner-Görmar
Unused spaces are more than empty buildings—they represent untapped potential for connection, creativity, and community. In Bolzano, a shortage of collaborative spaces is compounded by strict regulations, complex processes, and limited dialogue between citizens and the municipality. Many remain unaware of these spaces, their potential, or how to advocate for change, conserving their underutilization. This neglect has social and ecological costs, wasting resources and opportunities. Our project seeks to bridge this gap by creating a hub for awareness, dialogue and action, encouraging a collaborative imagination. The long-term idea isn’t just to inform but to inspire action—a collective rethinking of the spaces around us.
About the Hub
The Hub is a 2.0m high, 1.7m long and 1.2m wide structure that forms a
space for standing and sitting. We managed to recycle a lot of components (thanks MAMA!), especially logs and wooden panels for the posters. The structure of the Hub is quite simple, so it is easy to assemble and disassemble. In between the main wooden struts are more struts, which can be used to attach panels with information. There is also a shelf on which objects can be placed. One side wall is completely dedicated to the interactive panel - this is made of cardboard that we printed with white color. In the end, all the pieces came together to form a complete unit, ready to be interacted with.
Imagination
Lost Space, Residual Space, Junk Space, Leftover Space, or Informal Space? Vacant Space, Dead Space, Empty Space, Free Space, Neglected Space, Unused Space, unseen space, abandoned space, ruin, liminal space, urban voids, wastelands and Terrains Vagues? Indeterminate spaces, no man’s lands or something else entirely?
However we call them – how can we collectively re-imagine these unused spaces? For this, we created imaginations of different unused spaces that we encountered during our fieldwork in Bolzano. A video with more imaginations and a playground where you can move the images yourself can be found on our website.
empty space
starting to re-imagine
here could be a space for ...
... a skatepark!
or maybe let's open the house and ...
... create a cozy & welcoming space
