Historic Fire Station Tempelhof initiates innovative undertaking for nightlife scene

The Old Fire Station on Tempelhofer Damm will serve as a vibrant hub for non-commercial club culture, art, and interdisciplinary experiments from August 15 to October 18. Funded by the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion and the Lotto Foundation Berlin, this project aims to promote non-commercial culture and communal ideas.

The project, known as the "Open Experiment for Fair Space Allocation," is a collaboration between the Torhaus Berlin association and the Clubcommission Berlin. Six collectives—Fiestuki, Treason, Vuulva Power & BerlanAllee Studio, Cassette Heads Sessions, Milk Me, and Cura x Muster—will shape the evening program for the Old Fire Station, offering a diverse range of formats. These range from Latin American music evenings with film and discussion to queer performance art, drag cabaret, and electronic club music.

The daytime program includes workshops, discussion rounds, and collaborative work processes that test new forms of cooperation, focusing on themes such as community, climate, repurposing, and the idea of rescue and being rescued. Visual art works by Ulrich Forman, Bahar Kaygusuz, Hauck/Plümpe, Kollektiv Hotel Regina, Emma Mende, Bela Brillowska, and Carolin Ruggaber will also be showcased at the Old Fire Station.

The historical architecture of the fire station serves as a backdrop for an exploration of urban transformation and speculative future visions. The allocation of spaces is seen as an example of how spaces in Berlin could be fairly and transparently allocated. Culture Senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson emphasized that communally organized cultural projects are more important than ever in the face of growing space scarcity.

The Clubcommission also describes this interim use as a model project for progressive club culture. For two months, the Old Fire Station will become a place that connects past and present and opens up new perspectives on the use of urban areas. This project is not just an experiment but also a learning process for the Torhaus Berlin association, with the goal of discovering how spaces for culture can be made usable in the long term.

This unique cultural event is part of a broader collaboration between the Torhaus Berlin association and the Clubcommission Berlin, demonstrating their commitment to fostering a dynamic and inclusive cultural landscape in Berlin.