Interim uses are creative approaches for repurposing temporarily vacant buildings for various purposes. Munich regularly hosts exciting events for anyone who wants to discover the city's dynamic and creative side. A regularly updated overview.
Vacant buildings offer opportunities for imaginative projects looking for a suitable space. Interim uses play a vital role in subculture, because they complement high culture. They usually offer low-threshold access and juggle their art between politics and pop culture – Munich has a few of them.
Those who shy away from visiting an art gallery, can still discover contemporary art in the pop-up art café “Junger Peter“ until 15th of October 2024. Every fortnight, two artists are exhibited in the temporary use solution of the trio Viktoria Molnar, Julian Wittmann and Dorothea Wolf. Visitors can make themselves comfortable on vintage furniture while enjoying speciality coffee and cake.
There is also live music and other events to make the place as lively as possible – after all, the project is already in the final straight. Incidentally, the name refers to the church St. Peter, located on the other side: the tower of Munich's oldest parish church is called “Alter Peter“ (Old Peter) and offers a magnificent view over the city. So perhaps it's a good idea to first have a look over the rooftops and then warm up in the art café?
Fortunately, Import Export has been around for so long that it's easy to forget that it's an interim use. Solidarity is not only emphasised on their homepage, but also lived on site. The multi-sponsored live venue is a place where art and music can be experienced across genres and styles – and don't be surprised if the majority of the audience speaks English.
Activities are not limited to the evening. During the day, an international team prepares vegan dishes at an affordable price. The space can also be used for socialising and working, WiFi included. Import Export, by the way, is located in the exciting Kreativquartier area, which not only houses studios and offices, but also regularly hosts events.
The Bellevue di Monaco, which emerged from a protest movement a few years ago, is now a residential and cultural centre for refugees. The registered social cooperative has over 750 members who, with the help of hundreds of volunteers, assist the refugees – be it with learning German, finding an apprenticeship, legal issues or everyday matters. The centre of attraction is Café Bellevue – a popular meeting place for locals and tourists in the heart of the Gockenbachviertel district.
A new addition is the interim use solution, Pension Bellevue: As an interim tenant, the social cooperative has taken over a chic bed & breakfast for a year until the building will be remodelled. On the one hand, refugees find work in the accommodation, as well as temporary housing with the help of the “room reserve”, and on the other hand, the guesthouse is a new contact point for visitors to the city, who are looking for a sustainable travel option and overnight accommodation in the nightlife district.
In the former spaces of the Gasteig, once the largest cultural centre in Europe, a fat cat has secretly and quietly taken up residence, boldly proclaiming on the website: “I've got everything under control here!“ Despite the assertive tone, this is more of a statement to emphasise the diverse cultural scene: More than 100 artists are at home here and organise events in the concert hall and in the black box, as well as parties with DJs. There is also a comedy club where three different formats are performed from Monday to Friday, including one in English.
On the roof, the Kulturdachgarten not only offers food and drinks in summer, but also what is perhaps the most beautiful view over Munich and the Alps. The inner courtyard is a stage for Munich restaurateurs to showcase their culinary concepts. In addition to the dormant cat, the space has plenty of potential: The operators describe it as “creative, diverse, colourful and open to debate between the young and the experienced, artists and the neighbourhood of Haidhausen.“
This self-proclaimed “happening place” has been attracting visitors seeking a dynamic mix of sport, culture, and socialising since 2021. The former concrete factory offers free exercise areas, such as a skate park, a basketball field, a boulder wall and ping-pongtables. The beer garden and kiosk offer culinary delights, while cultural events and festivals transform the site into a space where anything seems possible. The Sugar Mountain cultural centre is expected to remain open until at least 2024 – hopefully even longer as it is so popular.
What can you do on almost 10,000 square metres on six floors? Quite a lot! Especially when you add 6800 square metres of outdoor space. Since 2020, the Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art (MUCA) has been operating the city's largest interim-use project to date – the Kunstlabor 2 in the former health centre in the heart of Maxvorstadt.
In addition to a fringe programme, guided tours of current exhibitions and graffiti workshops are offered, and there are even small hip-hop festivals. To ensure that the whole family can experience this interactive world of art, there are also events tailored to children and a creative workshop. Nobody will be bored here!
